Wizards Need Kyle Kuzma to Step Up

The Washington Wizards are counting on Kyle Kuzma to be the team's best player.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 17, 2024

Oct 14, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Washington Wizards small forward Kyle Kuzma (33) dribbles the ball against Brooklyn Nets small guard Cam Thomas (24) during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

In this story:

Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards don't have a ton going for them in the upcoming season, but Kyle Kuzma is expected to be a big part of the team whether they succeed or fall short of their goals.

Kuzma, 29, is entering his third season with the Wizards, where he has had the best statistical seasons of his career. In his first year with the team, Kuzma averaged 21.2 points per game. Those numbers jumped to 22.2 last season, giving hope that he can improve once again for the 2024-25 campaign.

Back in 2020 when Kuzma won the NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers, he was the third-leading scorer on the team behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis, averaging just 12.8 points per game. That means the ceiling can only be so high for the Wizards with Kuzma as the lead scorer, but someone has to lead the team in points.

Kuzma has already shown signs of doubt for the Wizards as the top scorer throughout the preseason, hoisting a number of air balls during the team's exhibition games. However, the preseason is meant for shaking off some rust, so we'll give him the benefit of the doubt until the games start to count next week.

In order for Kuzma to effectively lead the Wizards, he will have to score, but he also will need to find ways to get his younger teammates more involved. Without having a steady point guard in Tyus Jones on the floor, Kuzma will be forced to take on more of a distributor role in the offense. He averaged 4.2 assists per game last season, which was a career-best, so he has improved in that department.

That being said, he will need to do a little more in order to step up for the Wizards this season.

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

Published Oct 17, 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.