Doc Rivers Admits Bucks Are 'Screwing Up' Kyle Kuzma

Matt Levine | Mar 21, 2025

Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks are in the midst of a tight playoff seeding battle as the regular season winds down. Milwaukee currently sits in the No. 5 seed of the Eastern Conference playoff picture but they are only one full game out of the No. 4 seed.

More Bucks news: Latest Injury Update on Kyle Kuzma Could Completely Change Bucks Season

The Bucks have suffered some injuries in recent weeks, including to center Jericho Sims. Due to this injury, Milwaukee has had to play some unconventional rotations, and forward Kyle Kuzma has seen the brunt of much of it.

Kuzma has had to play multiple positions and hasn't been able to fully get his role down. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers weighed in on this and admitted that the team was "screwing" Kuzma up due to this.

“He’s been good,” Rivers said Thursday. “I think we’re screwing him up more right now, just putting so much on his plate. We had him at the three for a bit, it looked like he was going to start getting his groove and now, with Jericho out, we’ve got him at the three, the four, maybe even the five at times.

The veteran forward has provided a nice spark to this team and has been valuable since coming over at the trade deadline. Kuzma was brought in to help Milwaukee win this season and he has slowly been finding his groove with the team.

“I’m an unselfish player,” Kuzma said, following a 14-point outing in the Bucks’ 112-100 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 9. “I try to make the right reads and the right passes. I definitely feel that I could be a little bit more aggressive or being a little bit more of an initiator. I think I’ve been getting live reps at that for the past two years with no. 1 defenders guarding me every night.

If the Bucks can get Kuzma to continue getting more comfortable, they could be a tough out come playoff time. Milwaukee has the tools to be very successful in the postseason but they will need to show more consistency all around as the postseason comes up.

More news:

Bucks' Doc Rivers Shares Honest Feelings on Coaching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Doc Rivers, Damian Lillard Talk Bucks Biggest Issue Bucks in Warriors Loss

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