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The Washington Wizards are off to a strong 5-2 start in the 2021-21 NBA season. They've defeated playoff teams like the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics. All the players they acquired from the massive Rusell Westbrook trade seem to be meshing well with Bradley Beal. Who could forget Spencer Dinwiddie who continues to be a potent offensive threat. But going back to their haul from the Los Angeles Lakers, there's one player who's been a pleasant surprise for them. And it's none other than Kyle Kuzma. Before Lakers fans throw a tantrum and call him trash, allow us to explain why.
Wizards Surprise Early Into The 2021-22 NBA season
Kyle Kuzma has become an elite rebounder
Kuzma's bad rep with the Lakers seems to have followed him in Washington. Kuzma's lowlights have been making rounds on social media in an effort to hate on the young man. From the looks of it, these clips are from bitter Lakers fans whom Kuzma disappointed. That's fair. But the reality is, Kuzma is actually doing well with his new team. So far, Kuzma is averaging 15.9 points and 11.0 rebounds. He's also shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from deep. His point average is right around his alley. He's dropping 15.3 points per game in his young career.
What stands out so far is Kuzma's rebounding. This is the first time in his career that he's averaging double-figures in rebounding. In fact, this is his highest average by a mile. His best rebounding season prior to this was in his rookie year where he averaged 6.3 per game. In their double-overtime victory over the Boston Celtics, Kuzma snagged a total of 17 rebounds.
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We can say that the uptick in Kuzma's rebounding could be a function of him playing power forward in place of Rui Hachimura, who's still out due to personal reasons. As such, once Hachimura returns, Kuzma's numbers may eventually drop. However, we can look at it from another angle. Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. may now be entertaining the thought of just keeping Kuzma in the starting lineup since he's doing so well.
After all, Kyle Kuzma isn't just snagging those rebounds because of his position. That's not how it works. Rather, he's been getting those boards because he's been boxing out and being active. These things require strength and a nose for the ball. It's obvious that Kuzma polished these things in the offseason and we're now seeing the effects.
Though it's too early to tell, we may see a more consistent Kuzma — something that was absent from his stint in LA, especially when LeBron James joined in. Having LeBron as your teammate does wonders for your career. But it also has some negative things attached to it. Kuzma did not just have to sacrifice, but he also had to develop his game as quickly as he could. This doesn't necessarily bode well from an individual standpoint.
As such, we can say that Kuzma's move to Washington was a blessing in disguise. He's free from all the pressures of winning a championship as soon as possible. Right now, the feasible goal for the Wizards is to make the playoffs. If they make it far, then that's great. If they don't, then it's not the end of the road. They have much leeway to improve. Maybe the hate narrative surrounding Kuzma should end now. He's on a mission to find his identity as a player once again and continue to grow.
