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Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma is starting fresh this season. He’s officially in DC not to be the third wheel alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis but rather to make a name for himself and attempt to finally blossom in his young career.
This is the season for Kuzma to shine and establish himself as a potential All-Star. Gone are the days when he has to adjust his game regularly to fit the Los Angeles Lakers. There will be no more pressure but instead more opportunities for the 26-year-old to show off and develop his game even more.
Here are three reasons why Kuzma can have a breakout season for the Wizards.
Will finally have more opportunities on offense
Before LeBron joined the Lakers, Kuzma showed his potential in his first two seasons with the Lakers. Not saying that the addition of LBJ destroyed Kuz’s career but the young forward was utilized more on offense when The King wasn't yet around. He showed flashes of his passing skills, ability to drive to the rim, and even shoot from downtown. This was the same Kuzma that won the Finals MVP trophy in the NBA Summer League in 2017.
If the Wizards can give Kuzma more opportunities on offense this season, then there’s a huge chance that he will be even better than early years with the Lakers. He now has Bradley Beal to mentor him, with notable teammates like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rui Hachimura, and Spencer Dinwiddie ready to help him as well.
Can play the position he excels in
Kuzma has shown his ability to play the power forward spot but he never really got to do it so much with the Lakers because Davis occupied the position. Kuz has the height, agility and offensive chops to excel as a no. 4. He can even space the floor if his three-pointers are going in so that’s definitely a plus for the Wizards’ spacing. His versatility will allow the Wizards to play big and small because he can be squeezed into any type of lineup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x0vihtQ_Po
Aside from offense, the defensive growth of Kuzma over the past few years has been remarkable to see. His IQ on this end has strongly developed and sometimes, he hustles and really goes after rebounds and lost ball possessions. He is the type of forward that can be thrown out at 3-D wings, which will be a huge asset for the Wizards.
Can shine outside the spotlight
The reason why Kuzma was always the target of NBA fans on social media is because he played for the Lakers, and that meant the expectations set on him were huge. He was anticipated to be the third-best scorer alongside LeBron and AD but he didn’t really get to do that. He was expected to lead the Lakers last season when their two All-Stars were sidelined due to injuries but Kuzma failed to do so because his role was always changing.
Hopefully, Kuzma’s tenure with the Wizards will be for the better. If he can get clarity on what his role is from the start of the season then that would be good for him. He no longer will have the spotlight on him so maybe this is the best chance for him to make mistakes and grow as a player without social media clowning every move he does.
