Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma envies what superstars in the NBA can achieve as master ball handlers, and he believes the 27-year-old can succeed in the same way.
Following the Wizards’ 113-105 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, the sixth-year player was asked if he would feel comfortable as Washington’s No. 1 option.
Across multiple NBA betting sites, the Wizards have the 7th-lowest odds to win the championship in 2023. Some sportsbooks are offering playoff odds this season.
KYLE KUZMA 🔥
36 points (season high)
14/26 shooting
11 repetitions
6 assists (season high)
5 threes (season high)
W (without Beal and Porzingis)“I was telling coach to run the offense through me, make the play and see what happens.” pic.twitter.com/OZHYlcBb3q
– Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) November 11, 2022
“There’s no question I want to do that, 100%,” Kuzma explained. “I love challenges. Probably not. [39.7%], that’s a little aggressive. I don’t think you can win NBA championships with that nature.
Yama is a lot. But I have this ability to make others better, to score goals, to do a lot of different things.
Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma feels ready to be the team’s No. 1 point guard.
In the Wizards’ home win over Dallas, the forward scored 36 points to tie his career high with Washington, and Kuzma finished with 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal. He shot 14-of-26 overall.
In the fourth quarter, Kuzma scored 11 points and sank three shots from downtown to give the Wizards a commanding lead.
Of course, the Wizards guard is correct in the usage percentage. So far this season, Dwayne Washington Jr. of the Phoenix Suns and Jaden Springer of the Philadelphia 76ers lead the NBA in this measure (40%).
Kyle Kuzma being the primary ball handler and running down the stretch could be very exciting for the Wizards. Great for standing in a corner or second fiddle to post options/sets. pic.twitter.com/zIMLhWv8SL
— wizzy (@youngwizzyDFS) November 11, 2022
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic still ranks 3rd overall in the league, with a usage percentage of 37.9%. As for Kuzma, the forward is ranked 81st with a current percentage of 24.4%.
Last season, Ahmed Cavalier, Malik Newman, Matt Mooney, Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic made up the top-5 players in usage percentage. Other than the Mavericks, none of their teams made the playoffs.
Kuzma ranks 8th on the Wizards in player efficiency rating (15.97). However, the forward is currently 3rd in scoring and is averaging 18.8 points and 12 points per game this season.
When the ball is in his hands, Kyle Kuzma finds a way to score. This is the big picture.
