5 Active NBA players who have failed to reach their potential

#3 Kyle Kuzma

Kyle Kuzma in action during an NBA game.

Kyle Kuzma is the youngest current NBA player on this list. However, with the way he entered this league on the back of one of the best summer league campaigns, there is a feeling he should have done a lot more by now.

The former LA Lakers forward averaged roughly 17 points per game through his first two seasons in the NBA. Kuzma became a fan favorite in LA and was expected to reach All-Star heights soon in his career. He even outperformed his former teammate Lonzo Ball during their time together in Hollywood.

Kyle Kuzma is the 2017 NBA Summer League Championship Game MVP. 🏆30 points10 rebounds6 👌's pic.twitter.com/fbm0c5Wboj

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 18, 2017

Kuzma won a championship in his third season, but he couldn't really excel individually in that campaign. He averaged a career-low 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, failing to reach expectations of being the third star on the team behind Anthony Davis and LeBron James.

Kuzma endured an inconsistent run with the franchise post the arrival of Davis. He couldn't capitalize on the opportunities presented to him, which led to head coach Frank Vogel not being able to hand a firm role to his young star in the last two seasons.

He was resultantly traded to the Washington Wizards this offseason in a blockbuster trade that saw Russell Westbrook join forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Kuzma still has many years ahead of him and a great opportunity with the Wizards to showcase his potential in the NBA. It will be interesting to see how well he responds to that pressure, something his former teammates, including Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, have done exceptionally well recently.

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#2 DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins played for the Houston Rockets last season.

DeMarcus Cousins should have been fighting for championships at this stage of his career. Instead, he is being bounced around in the league and is still an unsigned free agent at the time of writing.

Cousins was on a roll in his younger days as an NBA player. He was one of the most dominant bigs in the league. Cousins made four All-Star game appearances between 2015 and 2018. However, injuries hampered his career just as he prepared to enter his prime years.

Before that, he repeatedly averaged over 25 points per game during his years as an All-Star caliber player in the league. It was no mean feat as very few centers were producing the kind of numbers Cousins was when he was at his very best.

On this day in 2016, DeMarcus Cousins dropped 56 points against the Hornets.Prime Boogie was a MONSTER. https://t.co/sQqVVvhTci

— Statline - Basketball & NBA News (@statline_) January 25, 2021

He has only played 119 games since 2018, however, even missing an entire season during the 2019-2020 campaign due to an ACL injury. Cousins played 31 games for the Houston Rockets and LA Clippers last season. His production has certainly dropped after he could only manage close to nine points per game in that period.

At 31 years of age, DeMarcus Cousins could have definitely been one of the best players in the NBA today if not for injuries.

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#1 Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose warms up before an NBA game.

Derrick Rose is another veteran who could have had a phenomenal career if not for the injuries that plagued him throughout his time in the NBA. Rose shot to fame as one of the best players in the league when he became the youngest NBA MVP award recipient at only 22 years of age in 2011.

He was expected to become one of the best point guards of all time after he won the award. However, injuries hindered his development into one of the best players in the NBA. Rose's battle with injuries started after his MVP winning season itself, and he hasn't been able to replicate a similar campaign ever again in his career.

Prime DRose was a BUCKET 💯 pic.twitter.com/cceRQyoowc

— Whistle (@WhistleSports) March 12, 2020

Rose has not averaged more than 20 points per game since the 2013-14 NBA season. If not for injuties, the three-time All-Star could have had more MVP caliber seasons and could have probably even led the Chicago Bulls to an NBA championship win during his time with the franchise.