Kyle Kuzma’s trade with the Milwaukee Bucks mid-season was aimed at giving the team a big lift.
After trading star Chris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma, the Bucks had high expectations from one NBA champion as they were performing for the Washington Wizard.
Kuzma has shown a sensational performance in the final game of the season against the Detroit Pistons, but has not gained the confidence of Milwaukee Bucks fans.
He was expected to play the third fiddle on Giannis Antetocomo, who has a sensational year and Damian Lillard.
This means Lillard has been excluded from the game. This means Kuzma may have to level his game and show up for the Bucks in his first round match against the Indiana Pacers.
Former NBA player Paul Pierce shared his views on the Bucks’ chances and said forwards must play a big role if the team advances to the next round.
Kuzma was added to the Bucks after a great performance with the Wizard.
However, Pierce believes that time with Wizard, which had been in misery for the past few years, has brought the younger players back.
Speaking about “tickets and the truth,” Pierce said:
“He was on a young team over there in Washington, so he came back a bit around all that immaturity, so he came back where his mindset was and where he liked when he was around the Bron and the Lakers.
Pierce believes Kuzma will have to help at least 20-22 ppg for the Bucks to have a chance against the Pacers.
“So he needs to go back to that 20-22 mark,” he added.
Antetokounmpo has removed some special numbers for the Bucks throughout the season, but the playoffs are different and the pacers are deep teams.
The Bucks need all the players, especially Kuzma, who had previously been on the big stage to contribute.
There have been some positive updates regarding Lillard’s return, but even so, Kuzma’s interactive play will be crucial for the Bucks.
He has not made the playoffs since his days with La Lakers, but his game has evolved since, and Kuzma has proven to be a contribution in his first round match.