Kuzma comes up huge vs. Mavs, without Beal and Porzingis originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
WASHINGTON — On a night the Wizards wore pink, Kyle Kuzma chose purple for his postgame press conference. It was a subtle nod of irony, as pink is the color he may be most associated with. Not purple and gold from his Lakers days, or red, white and blue as a member of the Wizards.
Kuzma, of course, made international news with his long-sleeved pink sweater last season. So, it was still fitting that when he was wearing pink, the color of the Wizards’ new cherry blossom alternates, he put on a show.
With Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis out and the Wizards in need of a boost, Kuzma provided it with one of the best games of his career. He scored 36 points in a win over the Dallas Mavericks, tying his career-high as a Wizards player, with 11 rebounds, seven assists and a steal. He shot a cool 14-for-26 overall and 5-for-11 from 3-point range.
Kuzma had 11 points in the fourth quarter, hitting three 3-pointers to help push the Wizards into a comfortable lead. He also get a series of stops on Luka Doncic, part of a collective effort that held the Mavs superstar to 8-for-21 shooting and five turnovers.
Kuzma was elevated to the Wizards’ No. 1 option and it looked good on him.
“I just got a good rhythm right from the jump. I just set my intentions on the night of just being aggressive, of scoring first and finding my teammates second,” Kuzma said.
Thursday’s 113-105 win showcased what has been an ongoing trend for Kuzma. When he is assertive with the ball and stays in motion, he’s very difficult to stop because of his size and versatility.
Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has praised his ability to attack in space and tries to find him opportunities to initiate the offense as a point forward. That’s easier said than done when Beal and Porzingis are in the lineup, given they are also very good scorers and need to be prioritized for shots.
When Kuzma takes initiative with the ball, good things tend to happen. The six-year veteran pointed to Thursday’s game as an example of what he’s capable of when the ball is in his hands. He was asked a question in the context of Doncic, who leads the NBA in usage rate.
“No question I would love to do that, 100%,” Kuzma said of being a primary ball-handler. “I love challenges. Maybe not [39.7%], that’s a little aggressive. I don’t think you can win NBA championships of that nature with that. That’s a lot. But I have that type of ability to where I can make others better, I can score, I can do a lot of different things.”
Doncic entered Thursday with the third-highest usage rate in NBA history, behind only Russell Westbrook in 2016-17 and James Harden in 2018-19. Both Westbrook and Harden won scoring titles those years and Westbrook took home MVP.
As Kuzma said himself, the Wizards can only rely on him to a point for the best interest of the team. Unseld Jr. explained how finding that line can be a challenge when Beal and Porzingis are both available.
“I think there’s a balance of that. When we’re whole, there’s a different flow to the offense. To his point, he’s effective in certain areas. He was really good in the post and it drew a double team for him and it opened up some of those threes. I think there’s a place for it,” Unseld Jr. said.
Kuzma’s 36 points were enough to improve his season numbers quite a bit, given the Wizards have only played 12 games. He’s now averaging a career-high 18.8 points along with 7.7 rebounds on 46.9% shooting and 35.1% from three.
Those are excellent numbers, especially considering he’s in what amounts to a contract year with the ability to opt out this summer and seek a new deal. At 27 years old, this is a big year for him. He could potentially cash in on the largest contract of his career.
Kuzma explained his mindset in that regard after the Wizards’ win.
“I don’t think about it at all, honestly. I just try to live in the moment. I mean, it’s cliche but I’ve done a lot of soul-searching this summer and I do a lot of meditating and whatever is for me in life is for me. It’s going to come eventually. I’m not tripping,” he said, later adding:
“Money, basketball, the success; it’s going to come. I think I learned that my 1st go-around with my 1st contract and I’m just in the moment and I’m just hooping.”
Kuzma admitted he had to learn that lesson the hard way during his third year in the NBA, when he was playing for the Lakers. That was the 1st season he was extension eligible and he put a lot of pressure on himself to score points every night and prove he could be the 3rd star next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
This time around, he’s letting the game come to him more naturally and it’s working out well for the Wizards, as we saw on Thursday night.
