From Trade Talk Target to Bonafide Starter: How the 2021 First-Rounder Stepped Up for Golden State
Just about two months ago, Jonathan Kuminga didn’t know whether he would still play for the Warriors. Despite drafting him in the top 10 back in 2021, Golden State has failed to support and give their former first-round pick a key role. Last year, following a few injuries and his displacement after the Jimmy Butler trade, Kuminga looked in need of change. Discussions for an extension quickly stalled out during the offseason, with the Warriors not willing to fulfill the player’s request for a long-term contract. While hope looked lost to continue the partnership, the two sides came to a two-year agreement worth $46.5 million just three weeks before the season began. Now, Kuminga has been rolling through these first few games, and here’s how.
The 23-year-old has started all seven games of this young season, and as the stats can show, he has paid dividends to coach Kerr’s trust. Offensively, he has scored double-digit points in all but one game and has already gone over the 20-point mark twice. Kuminga’s percentages have also looked good so far, scoring 53.1% from the field and shooting 43.5% from beyond the arc. While he has shot free throws below the league average for his career, Kuminga is currently at a very respectable 83.9%. To complement his attacking numbers, Kuminga has helped the Warriors in the rebounding department, with his seven boards per game leading the team on average.
However, his impact has gone beyond just the numbers. One of the criticisms of the young forward circulates his shooting ability, or lack thereof. In Kerr’s motion and three-point-heavy system that has led the Warriors to four championships in the last decade, Kuminga would sometimes clog up lanes. As a result, the team would struggle to score late in the shot clock, since spacing wasn’t optimal. Yet, since the beginning of this season, Kuminga has proven to be a respectable spot-up shooter, forcing teams to close him out. In those spots, he can thrive, either by punishing late rotations with his shot or using a defensive imbalance to do what he does best: slash.
Lastly, the former seventh overall pick seems to have finally gelled in playing alongside Jimmy Butler. While the similarities of their playstyles once seemed to hinder them, the two have found a way to play off each other. We need to give credit to the coaching staff and the players for that, as Golden State has looked to have solved this big dilemma that has existed since the team assembled its newest version. Under the guidance of Kerr, and with the playmaking of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green still proving excellent, Kuminga should continue to roll. Through these first seven games, he has become a likely candidate to step up when the Warriors look for inspiration, both offensively and defensively.
