MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – FEBRUARY 23: Kyle Kuzma #18 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles up court during … [+]
Since getting acquired by the Milwaukee Bucks before the trade deadline, Kyle Kuzma yet to find his groove.
The 6’9 forward, who the Bucks relinquished Khris Middleton for, has up reasonable raw line of 15.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, but his efficiency (41.7% from the field) has been lacking, and his 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio hasn’t exactly proven to be a pillar of great consistency.
Always a tough sell
Even before Kuzma was acquired from the Washington Wizards, the forward wasn’t exactly known for his efficiency, or high-intensity defense.
For Milwaukee to give up Middleton, an efficient shooter who, at worst, is a perfectly fine table-setter for his teammates, now appears additionally problematic, as the production the Bucks are getting from Kuzma seem to change on a night-to-night basis.
For a Milwaukee team that’s spent the better part of two years not being able to deliver a consistent product, adding a player who has his own issues in that department was always an odd choice.
Kuzma does have the ability to play more minutes than Middleton, as the latter is frequently injured, and never quite has returned to his pre-injury years of being an All-Star.
But is that a worthy trade-of, or more so a trade might out of fear of Middleton regressing even more?
Awkward fit
In his eight games with Milwaukee, Kuzma has cracked 20 points just once, and that’s a year after averaging 22.2 points per game. For all the chatter of Middleton regressing further, Kuzma himself has seen a sharp decline in raw production this season, averaging 15.2 points on the year, but taking 14 shots per game to achieve that.
Kuzma’s three-point shooting, which has historically never been a real weapon due to his inefficiency in that area, is in need of a significant bump if he is to act more as a floor-spacer for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, both of whom need established driving lanes to optimize their offensive game.
For Milwaukee to salvage this long-term, Kuzma is likely going to play primarily with the second unit, which we’re already some of, to optimize his effect.
But that raises yet another question about the trade.
If the Bucks traded for a player who they feel a need to stagger with Antetokounmpo to optimize the effect of both, what exactly was the point of the deal to begin with?
In fairness, the Bucks have won five of the eight games Kuzma has played in since coming over, but Milwaukee’s -1.85 net rating with him on the floor paints an early picture of a fit that’s, at best, wonky.
Could Kuzma turn things around, and become an asset to Milwaukee? Sure. But more than likely, it’ll take a full training camp, and a roster that’s otherwise so focused on floor-spacing, to make up for his shortcomings.
That’s rarely a sentence you wish to hear about your main deadline acquisition.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
