The Washington Wizards start to the season has been everything short of impressive up to this point. Washington entered the league with little to no expectations besides the one expectation that they would be among the worst teams in the league.
Up to this point, they've done nothing but prove those thoughts to be right with their 2-11 record through two weeks of play, However, the team's slow start hasn't exactly been due to their youth movement in Washington. In fact, some of the team's most consistent players have been their young players that fill out the roster.
Between Bilal Coulibaly, Carlton Carrington, Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr and even Jordan Poole, the team has players leaving it all on the court each night regardless of the outcome. And while that's great, that can't be said for all the players on the team.
For a young team looking to get back on the map, they need the leadership of the veterans around them to show them not only how to perform on the court consistently, but to act off the court and how to handle the media. In every scenario like this, the limelight is often set on the top veteran on said roster.
For the Wizards, the top veteran for them would have to be one of the longest tenured players on the roster, Kyle Kuzma. The talented forward has gotten off to a slow start to the season averaging 17 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 40.9% shooting from field goal range.
And while those stats may not look bad, to anyone who knows how good Kuzma can be, it certainly doesn't match the standards the team has set for him, or likely even the standards he's set for himself. However, his play on the court isn't the problem. The issue seems to be his lack of motivation to help lead his squad off the court.
Talked to Kyle Kuzma after the game about his game tonight (24p, 11-for-28 from the field)
— Varun Shankar (@ByVarunShankar) November 16, 2024
“I had good rhythm today. Just missed a couple layups. Make a couple layups and you’re at 50 percent, then nobody talks about it. It doesn’t really matter, you know?”
Kuzma's quote may not look alarming at first, but the key words to end his comments seems to be puzzling.
"Make a couple layups and you're at 50 percent, then nobody talks about it. It doesn't really matter, you know?"Kyle Kuzma
It doesn't matter? It matters to Wizards fans who desperately want to see their favorite team win. It matters to young players who are eager to learn and grow but are stuck in a log jam hoping to get minutes behind you.
Kuzma has shown signs of being a great team player and leader at that. However, this season, his struggles have seemed to not only affect the team, but his lack of performance to contribute to wins has seemed to put a damper on the veterans attitude surrounding the team.
With the NBA Trade Deadline approaching, comments like these to pair with the performance on the court could lead to a change of scenery for the veteran wing.