Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
With the 2021-22 NBA season scheduled to begin soon, these five players have the most to prove this season.
The NBA off-season is a time filled with hot takes, trade and free agency rumors, player rankings and a lot of criticisms. While media discusses this all, players internalize it as they hit the gym to work on their game so they can return and prove everybody wrong.
A few players probably have been hitting the workouts a little harder because of the noise surrounding their name. Find out which five players have the most to prove.
Here are the 5 NBA players with the most to prove this season
5
Kyle Kuzma
Not that long ago, Kyle Kuzma finished his rookie year and was considered one of the most promising young stars in the league. As a rookie, he averaged 16.1 points and shot nearly 37 percent from 3. He was viewed as the fortunate member of the Lakers’ young core that got to stay in Los Angeles and play alongside LeBron James.
Now three seasons later, Kuzma has gone from promising young star to a frequent target of NBA Twitter jokes. Playing in the shadows of James and Anthony Davis, Kuzma struggled to develop into his potential.
Kuzma is now a member of the Washington Wizards as part of the trade that sent Russell Westbrook to Los Angeles. With Bradley Beal being the only superstar and primary player on the team, Kuzma should be able to carve out a bigger lane for himself. This is his opportunity to show that the young scorer who lit up Staples Center is ready to walk into his stardom.