The Official Kyle Kuzma Thread

tontoz · Post #161 » by **tontoz** » Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:49 pm

Ruzious wrote:He'll make it 10 straight real good games tonight. But then, the truth will be in the pudding, because the next 11 games after tonight are against quality teams. It's how he does in those games that will tell if he's really the same old Kuz.

It is a little bizarre because in Dec he averaged 13/6 with a TS of 50%. This month he is averaging 26/12 with a TS of 63%.

Post #162 » by **Ruzious** » Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:58 pm

tontoz wrote:
Ruzious wrote:He'll make it 10 straight real good games tonight. But then, the truth will be in the pudding, because the next 11 games after tonight are against quality teams. It's how he does in those games that will tell if he's really the same old Kuz.

It is a little bizarre because in Dec he averaged 13/6 with a TS of 50%. This month he is averaging 26/12 with a TS of 63%.

I really hope he's turned a corner, but I suspect those December numbers will be more like what he gets after the Portland game. Kuz, prove Ruz wrong.

doclinkin · Post #163 » by **doclinkin** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:01 am

Boat anchor Boat Anchor BOAT ANCHOR

Watch on YouTube

BOAT ANCHOR

How's that boat anchor feel Embiid.

badinage · Post #164 » by **badinage** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 4:44 am

Why can’t we be optimistic about players — optimistic, hopeful, even giddy? Even if they’re not superstars. Or stars. Or PER stars.

Optimistic, hopeful, giddy … until we are given reason to think that we’re TOTALLY deluding ourselves. If we’re only partially deluding ourselves, that’s fine. That’s what sports is. That’s what life is.

I like Kuz. I’m believing. It’s fun.

DCZards · Post #165 » by **DCZards** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:06 pm

badinage wrote:Why can’t we be optimistic about players — optimistic, hopeful, even giddy? Even if they’re not superstars. Or stars. Or PER stars.

Optimistic, hopeful, giddy … until we are given reason to think that we’re TOTALLY deluding ourselves. If we’re only partially deluding ourselves, that’s fine. That’s what sports is. That’s what life is.

I like Kuz. I’m believing. It’s fun.

I think most here are coming around to being optimistic about Kuz. We’re halfway through the season and Kuz continues on an upward trajectory as far as his play is concerned.

Looks to me that getting out of LA and going from, at best, the third forward behind Lebron and AD, to the #1 scoring option at forward on the Zards has really supercharged his confidence.

Dark Faze · Post #166 » by **Dark Faze** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:25 pm

I think Kuz is an average scorer. He's a little below average on TS (55% last two years) for his position, with an above average usage. Given how good of a rebounder he is, and the fact that he competes defensively, I'd consider him a net positive player. The question is really about contract.

Luckily we have some time. We'll have a much better picture of what the team will be moving forward heading into next years trade deadline.

Post #167 » by **Ruzious** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:27 pm

DCZards wrote:
badinage wrote:Why can’t we be optimistic about players — optimistic, hopeful, even giddy? Even if they’re not superstars. Or stars. Or PER stars.

Optimistic, hopeful, giddy … until we are given reason to think that we’re TOTALLY deluding ourselves. If we’re only partially deluding ourselves, that’s fine. That’s what sports is. That’s what life is.

I like Kuz. I’m believing. It’s fun.

I think most here are coming around to being
optimistic about Kuz. We’re halfway through the season and Kuz continues on an upward trajectory as far as his play is concerned.

Looks to me that getting out of LA and going from, at best, the third forward behind Lebron and AD, to the #1 scoring option at forward on the Zards has really supercharged his confidence.

He does appear to be extremely relaxed out there.

And it's not just his scoring; his defense and rebounding seem to have also taken major upticks. These next 10 games - against very good teams - should tell us if it's temporary.

FAH1223 · Post #168 » by **FAH1223** » Fri Jan 21, 2022 7:44 am

Read on Twitter

queridiculo · Post #169 » by **queridiculo** » Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:36 am

FAH1223 wrote:

Read on Twitter

That was a foul though...

FAH1223 · Post #170 » by **FAH1223** » Mon Jan 24, 2022 9:16 pm

Read on Twitter

kane0801 · Post #171 » by **kane0801** » Wed Jan 26, 2022 11:54 am

Can't believe he is the most consistent player in the team this season so far

Post #172 » by **nate33** » Thu Feb 3, 2022 1:57 pm

Over the past 19 games, Kuzma is averaging:

22.1 points
10.5 rebounds
2.8 assists
1.2 blocks
0.8 steals
2.9 turnovers
.590 TS%
.353 3P%

This is starting to look like more than just a cute little run by a guy on a hot streak. Beal missed 8 of those games, so Kuzma has effectively been the #1 option and he is holding up nicely. The team actually went 4-4 in the games Beal missed.

As I said in the Trade Thread yesterday, I had been in favor of selling high on Kuzma, but now I'm not so sure. He might be hitting a new plateau as a player. Guys that can post 20 and 10 while playing credible defense don't grow on trees. Is he all that different from somebody like John Collins or Jerami Grant? And it doesn't hurt that he seems like a really likeable guy with a positive attitude.

On the other hand, many of the advanced metrics don't like him much because he has lousy on/off numbers. He has just a +0.2 BPM, and RAPTOR considers him the 8th best player on the Wizards roster with a -2.0 rating. Much of that was because he was really inefficient earlier in the year. (Over his first 8 games, he posted a TS% of .478 on high volume.) He has been better for most of the season.

One other consideration: he has a player option two summers from now. So effectively, we only have him at a cheap $13M cost for one more season.

payitforward · Post #173 » by **payitforward** » Thu Feb 3, 2022 3:51 pm

I agree: now is not likely the right time to trade Kyle Kuzma. He's improving, & he's doing it pretty rapidly.

Like you, I wonder what he'll cost when we need to make the next deal. But, it's hard to assess where we'll be with our roster until we know whether Brad is here.

Great to see him playing so well!! Really makes Tommy's trade look good.

Edit: I like him a lot more than Jerami Grant! I'm sure Detroit would trade the 2 guys straight up, but I sure wouldn't do it!

NatP4 · Post #174 » by **NatP4** » Thu Feb 3, 2022 7:37 pm

Now is the perfect time to trade Kuzma. Sell high. Maybe get a 1st round pick for him.

FAH1223 · Post #175 » by **FAH1223** » Sat Feb 5, 2022 12:09 am

AFM · Post #176 » by **AFM** » Sat Feb 5, 2022 2:13 am

We not gonna talk about Deni's fit in that picture? Short shorts and calf socks, he looks like Nate33 at an Ohio Walmart

WallToWall · Post #177 » by **WallToWall** » Sat Feb 5, 2022 2:42 am

AFM wrote:We not gonna talk about Deni's fit in that picture? Short shorts and calf socks, he looks like Nate33 at an Ohio Walmart

Definitely belongs in 1978. Just missing the headband. But I dig it.

Post #178 » by **nate33** » Sat Feb 5, 2022 5:31 am

AFM wrote:We not gonna talk about Deni's fit in that picture? Short shorts and calf socks, he looks like Nate33 at an Ohio Walmart

How did you know?

9 and 20 · Post #179 » by **9 and 20** » Sat Feb 5, 2022 12:35 pm

One really good thing about Kuzma playing well - I hope it shuts down any thought of trading a bunch of stuff for Jermai Grant. If they trade stuff for Sabonis, that's fine I guess. At least Sabonis is a really good player.

Post #180 » by **penbeast0** » Sat Feb 5, 2022 1:02 pm

NatP4 is saying what I've been saying since our opening hot streak. Sell when guys are playing well, don't sell when players value is at its lowest. Kuzma is our ONLY player exceeding expectations (maybe Avdija and Gafford but Gafford's new contract takes him out of consideration) and should be moved now, while his value is high if we can get value for him. If everyone sees our glut at the 4 and lowballs us, then we keep him and try again in the offseason or next year.

Same goes for KCP who is what he is and is unlikely to improve. This isn't a contender, it won't be one next year. We should be in asset collection mode.

Surprised?