When Kyle Kuzma got here to the Washington Wizards as a part of the commerce that despatched Russell Westbrook to Los Angeles, he got here like a younger wing with a championship expertise that was looking for his sport within the NBA and perceive who he was as participant.
Kuzma has change into a full participant at DC and has completed his job, however has an inheritance, or will he be one other former participant who goes by means of the nationwide capital?
Though Kuzma has a sort of inheritance at DC, it is not going to be on the stage of previous wizards like arenas, partitions and even Beal. He was productive, nonetheless, and improved every season, except for 2024-2025, whereas he was in Washington. His rating common elevated from 17 ppg throughout his first yr in DC to 22 ppg throughout his third.
Final season, after Bradley Beal was exchanged on the Phoenix Suns, he turned the primary ranking choice and noticed careers not solely within the rating, however as a proportion of FG (46%) and APG ( 4.2). The assists point out that he was creating way more for others and allowed his attacking sport to create alternatives with excessive proportion. He was a key veteran voice within the locker room and have become very fashionable with the followers base and the group. Nonetheless, issues have taken a flip for the worst this season.
It began throughout the offseason. Though I’ve by no means thought that athletes ought to simply be silent and dribble, there’s one factor like good. I firmly consider in athletes who use their platforms to boost consciousness or categorical their opinions, however when you do that step, you run the danger of public opinion. Going backwards and forwards with followers on political topics is a slippery slope and if you add the truth that it was Kuzma’s mom who disclosed him to need to exit to DC, he might have burned bridges in bridges outgoing.
After one of many final video games he performed with the Wizards the place he scored 30 factors, he made feedback that he was centered on acquiring “his”, and wouldn’t settle for what the Wizards do in relation to growing your younger nucleus. It might have been the straw that broke the again of the camel.
Does he have an inheritance? I am going to say no. He was productive whereas he was within the district, however fell into the identical class as Martell Webster and Kristaps Porzingis. He did his job, however didn’t have the identical influence as Gilbert Arenas, John Wall, or Bradley Beal Had at DC, and it is okay. He was simply passing however if you have a look at this reconstruction, there was a spot and that’s what ought to be celebrated.
