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In a perfect world, veteran forward Kyle Kuzma would be a guiding light on a Washington Wizards team stacked with young talent. However, that's hard for the 29-year-old to do when constantly injured.
Kuzma didn't practice on Friday and is unlikely to play in the Wizards' next two games, via Monumental Sports Network's Chase Hughes.
The former NBA champion sprained his rib during Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He returned to the court on November 11 after missing five games due to a groin strain and shot at least 40% from the field in four of his previous eight contests before his latest ailment.
Now, Kuzma, who's averaging 15.8 points on 42% shooting with 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, must deal with another bump in the road as he adjusts to Washington's new-look roster.
Wizards must rely on young core sans Kyle Kuzma
While Washington is a rebuilding team, it's still not easy to lose 13 games in a row. However, head coach Brian Keefe still has a positive outlook, via the Wizards' postgame media availability on Wednesday.
“You keep coaching, you keep teaching and you keep showing on the right way to play and we use every moment that we have to take advantage of that,” he said. “Sometimes in these hard moments I think you can grow. You're learning how to get some resolve some resiliency and we’ve shown that this year. I’ve been really proud of our group this year.”
While it will be hard for the team to break its 13-game losing streak without its second-leading scorer, Kuzma's absence provides more shot opportunities for younger players like Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George. Coulibaly, who has taken a step forward in his second year, is most likely to be Jordan Poole's Robin. He's third on the team with 13.2 points per game on a blistering 49.4% clip with 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Nobody likes losing, but those moments build character. Keefe is impressed with what he's seen on that front thus far.
“We have to accept where we are, but not accept our reality going forward. How do we get out of this? I think sometimes in the struggle of things, you can make great changes because it's going to reveal our character,” he continued. “I've talked about that before. One thing I was really proud of these guys in the timeouts and huddles is that they were coaching each other, they were helping each other, and that shows me that we're on the right track, even in a tough moment.”
Showing maturity during tough times is especially impressive on a young team. It reflects well not only on Keefe's leadership, but on veterans like Poole, Kuzma, Malcolm Brogdon, and Jonas Valanciunas holding the locker room together.
Considering that, it's easy to see why the 48-year-old coach isn't worried about the rookies' mental outlook.
“I believe in the character of our guys first and foremost,” he continued. “These guys have continued to grow even in the face of adversity. We're not gonna back down from that. We're gonna double down on what we believe in. Habits, teaching, and coaching. This will eventually turn someday, but I believe in some ways we're gonna grow from this. And that's what we're gonna take advantage of.”
The beauty of an 82-game season is that teams get constant chances to redeem themselves. The Wizards next take the court Friday night in a road date with the Milwaukee Bucks.
