Getty Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards
Rumors have been circulating for at least the previous week that the Dallas Mavericks are looking to add a Power Forward before the February 8 deadline. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards was among players the Mavs were monitoring.
Kuzma, who is 6′ 9″, fits the description of the player that Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, recently stated the Mavericks might look to add. Speaking on The Freak-FM 97.1’s Ben and Skin Show, on January 16, Cuban said “If we can get a big who can also create off the dribble, that’d be a plus.”
Not only does the height match up, but 65.3% of Kuzma’s field goals come off the dribble, according to NBA.com.
Outside of physical measurements and self-creation, how well does Kuzma, who was a part of the Los Angeles Laker’s 2020 NBA championship team, fit in Dallas?
Helps With Dallas’ Weaknesses, Improves Strengths
When diving into the Mavericks stats, one of the more prominent deficiencies in their offense comes in the post.
Last year, Luka Doncic was exceptionally efficient in the post, especially for a guard. Luka averaged 1.14 points per possession (PPP) on post ups, third in the entire league for players who averaged at least 3 post ups per game. This year hasn’t been quite the same, as his efficiency has dipped to 0.89 PPP. While Luka still leads the team, he’s in the 26th percentile in post scoring in the league, and the Mavericks as a whole are in the 13th percentile.
Kuzma, on the other hand, averages 1.1 PPP in the post this year. Good for 15th in the league among players with at least one post up possession per game.
@AOP_NBA | NBAPost Up Scoring
Aside from helping their post game, or lack thereof, Kuzma would fit in effortlessly with the Mavericks efficient transition offense. Dallas is currently tied for second in the league (with Kuzma’s Wizards) with 1.21 PPP in transition. Kuzma lives in transition, as his 4.5 transition possessions per game are currently tied for 11th in the league. Not only that, but Kuzma averages 1.27 PPP in transition, fifth in the league among players with at least 4 transition possessions per game.
@AOP_NBA | NBATransition Scoring
The Mavericks are already among the league’s best when it comes to finishing at the rim. Kyrie Irving is considered one of the best finishers in NBA history, Luka gets to the rim at will, and standout rookie Dereck Lively II leads the entire league with a FG% of 79.1% in the restricted area (minimum of 4 field goal attempts per game in the restricted area). Kuzma, who is currently shooting 73.6% in the restricted area on 4.7 attempts per game, would put even more stress on the opposing team’s interior defense.
What Would it Take to Land Kuzma?
Mark Deeks of HoopsHype reported that the Mavericks may be able to package Derrick Jones Jr, Maxi Kleber, and Dwight Powell in a deal to land Kuzma. However, Deeks also stressed that the Mavericks’ limited future draft picks and lack of expiring mid-size salaries, would make the deal “not the simplest to assemble”.
There have also been links from the Mavericks to the Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins and the Nets’ Dorian Finney-Smith, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.