Inside The Wizards

Wizards Encourage Aggression From Kyle Kuzma

Kyle Kuzma has been playing with more oomph for the Washington Wizards.

Jeremy Brener

Jan 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) shoots the ball as New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (2) defends in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Jan 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) shoots the ball as New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (2) defends in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards have had Kyle Kuzma back in the lineup for the last four games in his return from his rib injury.

He appears to get more comfortable every game, especially in the team's previous contest against the New Orleans Pelicans, where he scored a team-high 28 points in the loss. Wizards head coach Brian Keefe accredited his success to his aggression in attacking the rim.

“He's starting to find his rhythm, but he's been attacking the rim even before the injury and now he's starting to find that rhythm again with that," Keefe said. "We always like when he gets downhill to draw a crowd for us so wanted him to continue to play that way.”

When asked about how his aggression affects his style of play, Kuzma agreed with his coach and believes it makes his entire team better as well.

“I think when I'm aggressive I do a good job of just making the right play,” Kuzma said. “Just being able to be out there, get to the rim or create shots for my teammates when I'm situated like that.”

Having a veteran lead by example in that regard can have a massive effect on a young, rebuilding team. It encourages other players to be aggressive in their own ways and push the envelope towards settling into their roles.

“I think we love the aggression, I think we love just the fortitude," Wizards guard Jared Butler said. "I think that just kind of represents our team a lot of times during the season.”

With the trade deadline less than a month away, it remains to be seen how long Kuzma will be with the team, so the Wizards need to soak in all of this value while he is still in the nation's capital.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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