The Hard Pill Kyle Kuzma Will Have To Swallow
This season has been a roller coaster to say the least for the Washington Wizards. It has been filled with a few ups, plenty of downs, and even a few twist and turns too.
The twist and turn of events had to be trading away Daniel Gafford. Gafford has been an extremely serviceable big man for the Washington Wizards. In fact, given his assignment, he may be one of the toughest guys in the league. The Wizards didn’t have a true backup center for him during his tenure in Washington. However, he took on the assignments of Joel Embiid, Kristaps Porzingis, and Bam Adebayo with a smile on his face. He played well too as he always managed to get a couple of blocks every night.
The down this season was Jordan Poole’s production. He hasn’t looked like the player we saw in Golden State with the Warriors. Being a full time starter has weighed heavy on Poole and the expectations haven’t been met thus far this season.
Finally, we get to some good news this season. The Wizards have a rising star on their team and that’s Bilal Coulibaly. He understands the need to play both ends of the court and has blossomed doing so too. However, the consistency for the Wizards has been Kyle Kuzma.
He probably should have been an all star this season. His numbers certainly back that theory up. However, that’s a different story for a different day for the Wizards. He has been phenomenal all season long. He clearly is a winner. However, the Wizards aren’t on the same page as him this season. He had the opportunity to get traded to the Mavericks. However, he decided to stick around. Did he make a mistake in doing so?
The answer to that question is yes. First of all, he had a chance to compete for his second NBA championship. Playing next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving would have gave him and the Dallas Mavericks the chance to do something special. However, he decided to stay with the Wizards with aims to do something special. While he is the number one guy now, each day that spotlight seems to be getting dimmer and dimmer.
The hard pill that Kyle Kuzma will have to swallow is that this will soon be considered Jordan Poole’s team. The Washington Wizards saw he was available and moved quickly to acquire him. We know how lethal he can be. The things he did in Golden State and what he was able to accomplish there has to speak volume. Poole has a higher ceiling than Kuzma too. Poole is just 24 years of age while Kuzma is pushing 30 soon. Lastly, Poole is the money maker here in Washington. He sells jerseys and is very trendy. He is a polarizing player as well as the highest paid player on the team. The Washington Wizards are learning how to utilize him. This is something Kyle Kuzma will have to adjust to.
