Kyle Kuzma: Wizards Are 'Best Team' in Key Area

The Washington Wizards are already vibing as a team.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 1, 2024

Mar 29, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons center James Wiseman (13) during the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards may not be one of the better teams in terms of expectations for the upcoming season, but they may have one of the best team dynamics coming into the year.

A lot of players from last year's team are back in D.C., including star forward Kyle Kuzma, who believes the Wizards already have good chemistry.

“This is the best team I’ve been around in terms of chemistry, camaraderie and character since I’ve been in Washington,” Kuzma said via Wizards insider Chase Hughes. “I think everybody here is very similar because we all love basketball. I think the young guys the front office drafted are phenomenal. They fit right in along with everybody … so I expect some good vibes this year.”

The Wizards aren't expected to contend this season, but they felt that most of their core was worth keeping around for the foreseeable future, with Kuzma as the headliner. The team also removed coach Brian Keefe's interim tag from last season, which will help add to the team's continuity.

It's important in basketball to build and establish chemistry, and that's something the team didn't have a whole lot of last season. The players on the squad were beginning to feel each other out, and that's what resulted in the team's 15-win season.

The talent level the Wizards have simply isn't on par with the rest of the league, but their chemistry could make up for some of that. If they can ingratiate the new veteran signees in Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valanciunas and rookies Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George can catch on quickly, the Wizards should be better this season than they were a year ago.

The Wizards are set to begin training camp today ahead of their Oct. 24 season opener against the defending champion Boston Celtics.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published Oct 1, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.