Wizards' Kyle Kuzma makes major admission amid early-season roller coaster

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Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has had plenty of reasons to be discouraged recently. The former NBA champion missed five games due to a groin injury and is currently averaging the lowest field goal percentage (40.9) of his career.

Kuzma, though, thinks he’s turning a corner.

Kyle Kuzma admits that he's been a "work in progress" so far this season, but he's been feeling healthier and more like himself recently ahead of tomorrow night's home clash with the Celtics. #wizardspic.twitter.com/F5YUMGunvI

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) November 21, 2024

“You know, definitely a work in progress. Definitely experiencing a new role, trying to figure it out,” the 29-year-old said at Thursday’s practice. “Trying to have these guys also understand how to play with me a little bit, in a sense. I’m taking it every day, every day’s a new day. Obviously feeling more healthy now, was beat up a little bit in preseason and the early part of the season, so I’m feeling really good. I feel like myself a little bit the last couple of games, but really trying to help these guys do other things on the court.”

Kuzma wasn’t lying about having a new role, as he’s become less of a facilitator and more of a secondary option in Jordan Poole’s offense, who’s now the permanent point guard. That change has led to some discombobulation, but that’s to be expected.

“If you watch last year, I had the ball a lot, playing the pick-and-roll, making decisions, playing in the post,” the former Los Angeles Laker continued. “If you watch last year and this year, you’ll see it.”

On top of the injury and change in his offensive role, Kuzma has had to get used to playing with a host of new teammates, including Washington’s three rookies.  The Utah alum mentioned new Wizards veterans like Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valanciunas as players he had immediate chemistry with after their 124-104 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, but he’s yet to mesh as well with the younger talent.

However, there’s plenty of time to figure that out, and there have already been flashes. For example, Kuzma’s best game thus far was in Washington’s 121-119 win over the Atlanta Hawks on October 28th, the day he got injured. The 6-foot-9, 221-pounder scored 25 points on 8-20 shooting with 11 rebounds and seven assists across 40 minutes, with two of the assists to second-year guard Bilal Coulibaly and another to rookie big man Alex Sarr. Sarr also assisted him on a three-pointer.

Kuzma has often struggled with efficiency outside of that contest, although he still had his fastball in the Pistons loss, scoring 22 points on a scorching 10-14 clip from the floor. Will the 2017 first-round pick regain his consistency?

Wizards head coach Brian Keefe believes in Kyle Kuzma

Keefe pointed to Kuzma’s aforementioned Atlanta performance as well as his last two games as evidence that the veteran is returning to form.

I asked Brian Keefe his thoughts on Kyle Kuzma's season thus far…he acknowledged that the vet has had bumps in the road, but thinks "he's right where he should be." Good opportunity for a statement game from Kuz tonight as the Wizards host the Celtics in the NBA Cup. pic.twitter.com/vIjsOEyQ30

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) November 22, 2024

“I like how Kyle is coming in. He had that one game in Atlanta when he was great, then obviously he had the injury,” the 48-year-old said. “The last couple games, I liked how he’s played very efficiently. He’s where he should be.”

Kuzma wasn’t red-hot in Monday’s 134-108 loss to the New York Knicks, but he did well in a more limited role, scoring 11 points on 5-for-11 shooting with eight rebounds and two assists across 24 minutes. While that isn’t a headlining performance, it’s a good sign that he strung together two efficient performances ahead of Washington’s home clash with the defending champion Boston Celtics on Friday night.

A good first step for Kuzma will be to get his season field-goal percentage to the 45 range, which is what he averages for his career (45.1). Once the 2018 NBA All-Rookie First Teamer is consistently on the same page as the team’s younger players, though, his production will soar.

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