ESPN has come out with their NBArank for the 2023-24 season, and Kyle Kuzma is just one of many who are not at all fans of it.
Kuzma commented on the post that ESPN had to be smoking something when they came up with this.
It is unclear what part the 28-year-old has a problem with, as there are quite a few interesting selections, but you can make some educated guesses. It could be that he is ranked down at 86, or that his new Washington Wizards teammate Jordan Poole has dropped to 72 from 55 last year.
There is also a chance that Kuzma, just like so many others, can’t comprehend why Russell Westbrook is at 94. You understand this is a projection, but if you consider how last season ended, I can’t comprehend why he’s so low.
The last we saw of Westbrook was him putting up 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game in the Los Angeles Clippers’ playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. Sure, he won’t be putting up those numbers when Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are healthy, but it is clear there is gas left in the tank.
I could even understand him not being a top 50 player, but barely making the top 100 seems rather absurd. Ranking rookies over players like him is a bit questionable as well. I’m optimistic that Chet Holmgren and Scoot Henderson are going to have great NBA careers, but are they going to be better than Westbrook in their first season? Probably not.
Russell Westbrook Is Going To Start For The Clippers
I could also maybe have understood having Westbrook that low if he was just going to be sitting on the bench next season, but that is not the case. Head coach Tyronn Lue revealed that Westbrook will be a starter for the Clippers.
He is going to play a big role, and I’d expect the 34-year-old to put up better numbers than he did for them in 2022-23 when he averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. There is a pretty simple reason for that, which is that he is going to have a proper preseason with them under his belt.
Westbrook may not be an All-Star caliber player anymore, but I certainly don’t think there are going to be 90-odd players better than him in 2023-24.
The Kuzma-Poole Era Got Off To A Winning Start
The Wizards have made some big moves this offseason, trading away Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, and Chris Paul, whom they had acquired in the Beal trade. The reins of the franchise have been handed over to Kuzma and Poole, for now, and the team got off to a winning start in the preseason with them leading the way.
The Wizards took on Australian side Cairns Taipans on Tuesday and came away with a crushing 145-82 win. Kuzma had 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in the contest while Poole had 18 points, a rebound, and 2 assists.
I’m not expecting big things from the Wizards this season, but these two are going to have the license to go out there and express themselves. They both averaged over 20.0 points per game last season, and I’d expect them to improve on those numbers. There’s a good chance they both are much higher in the rankings in 2024.
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