Wizards Need Kyle Kuzma to Step Up

The Washington Wizards don't have a ton going for them in the upcoming season, but Kyle Kuzma is expected to be a big part of the team whether they succeed or fall short of their goals.

Kuzma, 29, is entering his third season with the Wizards, where he has had the best statistical seasons of his career. In his first year with the team, Kuzma averaged 21.2 points per game. Those numbers jumped to 22.2 last season, giving hope that he can improve once again for the 2024-25 campaign.

Back in 2020 when Kuzma won the NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers, he was the third-leading scorer on the team behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis, averaging just 12.8 points per game. That means the ceiling can only be so high for the Wizards with Kuzma as the lead scorer, but someone has to lead the team in points.

Kuzma has already shown signs of doubt for the Wizards as the top scorer throughout the preseason, hoisting a number of air balls during the team's exhibition games. However, the preseason is meant for shaking off some rust, so we'll give him the benefit of the doubt until the games start to count next week.

In order for Kuzma to effectively lead the Wizards, he will have to score, but he also will need to find ways to get his younger teammates more involved. Without having a steady point guard in Tyus Jones on the floor, Kuzma will be forced to take on more of a distributor role in the offense. He averaged 4.2 assists per game last season, which was a career-best, so he has improved in that department.

That being said, he will need to do a little more in order to step up for the Wizards this season.

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