Glaring Kyle Kuzma Stat Emerges After Wizards Trade Him

The net rating of a player is the difference between a player's offensive rating and their defensive rating. The NBA's offensive and defensive ratings measure how much a team scores or gives up while a certain player is on the court per 100 possessions. Advanced metrics show that the Wizards gave up 132.4 points per 100 possessions while Kuzma was on the court, while only scoring 102.8 in a similar timeframe.

While net ratings can be a noisy stat, it does highlight how bad the Wizards have been with Kuzma as one of the main engines. Traded from the Lakers as part of the Russell Westbrook deal in 2021, Washington fans hoped that Kuzma would bring his championship-caliber scoring to the team. This season, Kuzma was one of the least efficient players in the NBA, scoring 15.2 points per game on a putrid 42% shooting percentage during his time in Washington.

Will Middleton provide the spark that this downtrodden Wizards team needs? Like Kuzma, Middleton has been a key piece in a championship team this decade, serving as the second fiddle to Giannis Antetokounmpo during the Bucks' 2021 championship. That being said, Middleton is yet to suit up for the team after being dealt to the team.