In the aftermath of a brutal defeat in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks coach defended his young shooter, Kyle Kuzma, after he scored zero points in 21:34 minutes of action. Rivers deflected blame from Kuzma and argued that they needed to be better at getting him involved going forward.
“It’s hard to score when you don’t touch the ball,” said Rivers. “Kyle got two shots in the first half, both with two seconds on the shot clock. Kuzma can play, we just gotta involve him and we gotta make sure to keep him involved.”
Kyle Kuzma had only played 33 games with the Bucks before tonight’s playoff showdown. Up until February, he was with the Washington Wizards after his trade from the Lakers in 2021. In a shocking move at this year’s deadline, the Bucks traded their longtime swingman Khris Middleton in exchange for the younger and cheaper Kuzma.
This week, the Bucks were looking to make a statement to start this first-round series by taking back home-court advantage right out of the gate. Instead, it was the Pacers who made a statement by winning in a 19-point blowout. They shot 51.9% for the game with a total of 28 assists, thanks to a smooth offensive rhythm.
Meanwhile, the Bucks struggled to score with just 98 points on 41.7% shooting. Besides 36 points and 12 rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo, almost the entire roster was a disappointment in Game 1, and Damian Lillard didn’t even play at all on the final day of his recovery from deep vein thrombosis.
In truth, the pressure was on Kuzma today to step up as the secondary star in Lillard’s absence. He failed to live up to that standard with an abysmal stat line of zero points, zero assists, and zero rebounds, on 0% shooting from the field. He was -24 in nearly 22 minutes and was a liability on the court at times.
With the fans roasting him online, Doc Rivers did not shame him for the putrid performance. Instead, he blamed himself and the team for not giving him nearly enough touches. Despite being one of their best shooters, Kuzma only shot five times in the game, which is one of the lowest among his teammates.
With averages of 14.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 45.5% shooting this season, Kuzma is no scrub, and his championship experience could be useful for the Bucks. Unless he’s contributing to the score, however, it’s going to be tough for the Bucks to advance.
For Game 2, Rivers is going to try and get more opportunities for Kuzma, but it’s going to be tough with Damian Lillard returning to the fold. With Giannis and Lillard set to take the majority of shots, the Bucks will have to be intentional about getting Kuzma involved.
In the end, though, the pressure is on Kuzma to make an impact in the game and be aggressive on offense when the time is right. After playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Kuz already has experience in a supporting role, and he should know how to make the most of his time on the floor. With the season on the line, Kuzma will have to look back on history and return to his previous level of play if his team is to stand any chance of making a run this season.
