Kyle Kuzma has been in great form recently, playing some of the best basketball of his career. After a few seasons with the Lakers where he was relegated to a bench role because he played the same position as LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Kuzma is getting his chance in the spotlight after being traded to the Wizards.
While Kuzma has had the odd bad game here and there, he has been playing much better under this new, more important role he holds for the Wizards. And over the last few games, he has been on an incredible run, putting up solid numbers and showing the NBA world why he was considered one of the most talented young players on the Lakers.
But Kuzma is still hungry for more and wants to improve regularly. Last night, he was on the verge of a triple-double. In the dying moments of the game, Kuzma had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. In order to secure his triple-double, Kuzma would have needed another assist, one he thought he would get when he found Cory Krispert alone in the corner.
But Krispert had other ideas. Upon receiving the ball, Cory Krispert made the extra pass to a teammate in order to get a better shot. The shot missed, and Kuzma was not happy with Krispert surrendering the open look and subsequently costing Kuzma his triple-double. And Kuz let him know after the play.
Some fans may be unhappy with Kuz’s frustration, with it appearing that he cared more about his own personal stats than the team’s win. But given that the game was almost secured for the Wizards, and the fact that Krispert actually had a better look than Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kuz’s frustration can be understood.
Regardless of the missed assist, Kuzma can be proud of the way he played. He put up big numbers in order to help his team get the win. Kuzma’s high level of play has instilled a confidence in him we haven’t seen before, and he even thinks that he should be an All-Star this season. Whether that comes to fruition remains to be seen.
