Some players have had poor performances in the postseason, but to be bad throughout your career is another level.
Going into the postseason, the Milwaukee Bucks will be without star guard Damian Lillard as he recovers from blood clots that caused him to miss the final month of the regular season. With Lillard sidelined, Giannis Antetokounmpo will be forced to carry the load for the fifth-seeded Bucks against the Indiana Pacers.
Although the Bucks’ deadline deals were made with the idea that both Lillard and Antetokounmpo would be available in the postseason, there is still some potential help around. At the deadline, the Bucks traded longtime star Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma.
While Kuzma does have playoff experience and has even won a championship, he is also among the worst postseason players in the league. Among active players with at least 500 playoff minutes, Kuzma has the second-worst career box plus-minus in the playoffs at -4.1, trailing only Georges Niang.
Basketball Reference defines BPM as “a box score estimate of the points per 100 possessions that a player contributed above a league-average player, translated to an average team.” Essentially, it’s a measure of how good a player is compared to league average.
Considering Kuzma’s placement, it seems difficult to make any positive statements about the Bucks’ chances in the postseason. However, not all hope is lost for the Bucks and Kuzma.
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While his career BPM is among the worst in the league, Kuzma has only made two postseason appearances with the Lakers in 2020 and 2021. The Bucks forward has grown as a player in that timeframe and could turn out to be a reliable option in these playoffs.
Averaging 14.5 points and 5.6 rebounds since arriving in Milwaukee, Kuzma has proven his value, but will need to do so again when the lights are brightest.
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