Skip to main content

Kyle Kuzma calls Wizards’ abundance of wings ‘successful people problems’

By Andrew Gillis

Kuzma: Wizards’ abundance of wings ‘successful people problems’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

When the Wizards began their offseason in early June, a few areas of need were abundantly clear. 

They needed shooting help, as they were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA last season. And they needed defensive help, specifically on the wings, as the Wizards collapsed on their own end of the floor far too many times last season.

Now that the dust has settled on the offseason, at least for now, the Wizards have added depth in those areas with authority. 

They brought in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma and Corey Kispert to join a lineup already with Deni Avdija, Davis Bertans and Rui Hachimura. They think they can be proficient at both ends of the floor, but feed off one another as well.

“I think you’ve got to realize like, I’m not going to say it’s a logjam, but if you look at the landscape of the NBA, teams always have a bunch of guys that are 6-foot-6 and above that can all play on the court at the same time,” Kuzma said Tuesday. “This league has transformed into kind of position-less. If you have guys that know how to play basketball and know how to defend at a high level, now you’re in business.”

The Wizards and coach Wes Unseld Jr. will have a bevy of lineup options with so many wings and frontcourt players on the roster. 

With their offseason acquisitions (including Thomas Bryant, who missed the majority of last season), the Wizards have five players listed at 6-foot-10, three of whom (Isaiah Todd, Kuzma and Bryant) will be on the team this season. 

They added Kispert, a 6-foot-7 wing that can shoot the 3-ball well, too. 

Now, with a glut of players that can move up and down the lineup, there’s no shortage of lineup decisions that the Wizards can’t make.

“It’s a good problem to have for Wes and the organization,” Kuzma said. “I like to call them ‘successful people problems,’ because we have a lot of great and talented players on one roster. It’s always about sacrifice and trying to win.”

Wizards extend losing streak in San Antonio to 22 games with latest loss to Spurs

By Chase Hughes
Wizards extend losing streak in San Antonio to 22 games originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonThe Washington Wizards lost to the Spurs 116-99 in San Antonio on Monday night. Here are five observations from what went down...The streak continuesThe Wizards have not won a game in San Antonio since before Deni Avdija was born and after yet another loss, their 22nd straight in a span of 22 years, that streak will live on. Washington led the Spurs by six points at halftime, only to be outdone by 12 points in the third quarter and then 11 points in the fourth. This seemed like it could be the year. The Wizards, now 13-8, have been a much better team so far this season than the Spurs, who improved to 6-13 with Monday's win. As teams from different conferences, they only play in San Antonio once a season, so the Wizards will have to try again next year.It was another rough shooting night from three for the Wizards. They made just 9-for-31 from long range, good for 29.0%. They also allowed 72 points in the paint and were beaten 17-0 on the fastbreak. It also didn't help that they shot 8-for-13 (61.5%) at the free-throw line.Their defense, though, may be a growing concern at the moment. Three of their five-highest point totals allowed came on this four-game road tripThe Wizards closed out their road trip by splitting it evenly at 2-2. They will return home to host the Timberwolves on Wednesday.White-hotIf you only watched the third quarter on Monday night, you would think Derrick White of the Spurs is an elite scorer, a superstar, maybe even a living legend. He was completely unstoppable and it kind of came out of nowhere. No disrespect to the guy, but he came into this game averaging 11.4 points while shooting 38.6% from the field and 28.7% from three.But in the third quarter, he caught fire and scored 18 of his 24 points on the night. White played the entire frame and shot 7-for-9, including 3-for-4 from three. He also dished three assists. Everyone in the NBA is good and many players are capable of making teams pay for taking them lightly. Whether that was the case here or not, White certainly made the Wizards pay.Gafford stepped upComing off two big games in which he helped lead the Wizards to wins in different ways, Gafford came through again on Monday. He had 11 points, 10 rebounds and a block. He was the hot hand in the first half with 11 points as he helped the Wizards score 36 paint points by halftime. They had 56 for the game.Gafford did it all while clearly playing through some pain in his right thumb. It was less than two weeks ago that he missed a game due to the injury and he continues to play with black tape on the finger. And in this game, at least twice he got hit on his hand and each time the contact seemed to re-aggravate the injury. Gafford played through it and played well, but there were several moments where he was wincing and holding his hand.Keldon JohnsonThe Spurs aren't the team they were for the better part of the past two-plus decades, but they do have some emerging young players. One of them is Keldon Johnson, who is taking a sizable leap this season, his third in the NBA. He had a solid game against the Wizards with 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting in 35 minutes. After winning a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team, he has come back noticeably better in his age-22 season.Why should that interest Wizards fans, you may wonder? Well, he's not the only player the Wizards have seen recently from the 2019 class who is showing significant progress. Tyler Herro of the Heat would be another. Remember, Rui Hachimura was also a first-round pick in 2019. Their development is a reminder that when the Wizards get Hachimura back, he'll prove to be quite a big addition. If they get the version of him we saw last year, that will help. But there's a chance he gives them much more than that.Bertans remains coldGiven his track record of needing time after injuries to find his rhythm and conditioning, perhaps it should be no surprise that Davis Bertans is struggling right now. But the degree that he is struggling is at a minimum worth noting and, if it continues, could present head coach Wes Unseld Jr. with an interesting decision to make.Monday's game was the fourth for Bertans since the left ankle sprain which kept him out for 10 games. He went 0-for-3 from three, continuing what has been a stunning drought from long range. He is now 1-for-19 from the perimeter since coming back, which for a shooter of his ilk is quite surprising. Unseld Jr. may have to determine his threshold pretty soon.If Bertans shoots like this, it will be tough to allow him to keep shooting, yet the Wizards need help with their threes and no one on the roster is capable of getting scorching hot from long range like he can. He just hasn't been able to do it in a while.
Read Next Story

Related News

Wizards extend losing streak in San Antonio to 22 games with latest loss to Spurs

Murray, Spurs to host Beal and the Wizards

Montrezl Harrell for Sixth Man? Wizards make case for awards after 20 games