The Washington Wizards have struggled immensely to start the season as their young team continues to adjust on the fly under first-year head coach Brian Keefe.
Washington sits at 2-11, and their schedule won't get any easier with the defending NBA Champions coming into town on Friday night. And while the Wizards may not have much hope for their matchup against the Boston Celtics, they could stand a chance if they could get a prime performance from their veteran forward Kyle Kuzma.
Kuzma has struggled to start the season and his slow start to the year has been one of the key reasons for why Washington has struggled to start the year. The Utah product is averaging 17 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, while shooting 40.9% from field goal range and 29.2% from beyond the arc.
While those stats may be considerably well for many players in the league, Kuzma is coming fresh off a career season where he averaged 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 46.3% shooting from field goal range and 33.6% from three.
The 29-year-old's versatility has been one of the most impressive things about his style of play throughout his career. His ability to be an explosive scorer, willing facilitator and ball handling big when needed has been huge for him in his time with the Los Angeles Lakers and Wizards.
Kuzma has played in eight of the Wizards' 13 games through the start of the season, and at times he's shown flashes of his former self. In a recent intervieiw, Kuzma even admitted that he hasn't been himself through the start of the season and labeled his start to the year as a "work in progress."
Kyle Kuzma admits that he’s been a “work in progress” so far this season, but he’s been feeling healthier and more like himself recently ahead of tomorrow night’s home clash with the Celtics. #wizards pic.twitter.com/F5YUMGunvI
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) November 21, 2024
If Kuzma is indeed getting back to his former self, that alone could be a huge boost that would give the Wizards a chance to break their nine-game losing streak. With the season not completely out of reach, a win could spark something in Washington's young team to turn a page and pile together some wins.
By no means could a healthy Kuzma turn this roster into a contender, and there's no real chance that a healthy Kuzma could even turn this Wizards team into a play-in squad. However, if the veteran forward can return to his former self and elevate the players around him, it could not only help drive up his trade value, but play a huge role in the development of the young players on the squad.