Golden State Warriors: Jonathan Kuminga might be ready

Originally slated as one of the consensus top four prospects, Jonathan Kuminga slid all the way down to seventh in the 2021 NBA Draft. This is because he was seen as a work in progress with an extremely raw skill set. However, Kuminga is showing he might be ready to compete on day one with the Golden State Warriors.

Jonathan Kuminga is steadily silencing his pre-draft concerns. It looks like the rookie might be more polished than the Golden State Warriors thought.

Entering the draft, Kuminga was expected to be an ongoing development project. This can be said for most rookies — but Kuminga was exceptionally unpolished in his offensive game. Still, an 18-year-old with supreme athleticism and hints of ball-handling and shot creation were enough to convince the Dubs to take on the challenge.

Developing Kuminga would come down to a few key aspects. First, they needed to hammer down on his ability to attack the rim as a slasher. He’s a 6’8″ tank with nimble feet that allow him to slide around defenders whenever he isn’t simply bulldozing his way to the rim. Next, the Dubs needed to expand his range consistently to the 3-point line — and of course, ensure he uses his athleticism to be a solid defender, as well.

Obviously, Kuminga hasn’t done all of this in his brief time with the team just yet. But, he has shown that he is starting at a higher base level than we previously might have thought. Kuminga is having a successful run in Las Vegas and might not need as much work as other lottery teams expected.

In his most recent performance, Kuminga put up 18 points in a win over the Toronto Raptors. He was everywhere, attempting ridiculous dunks, rejecting shots and drilling 3-of-6 attempts from the 3-point line as he carried the Warriors to victory.

This is just one of three strong outings in Summer League thus far for Kuminga. He looks like a jack of all trades, punishing opponents in every aspect. Kuminga is locking down defensively, bullying smaller players on his way to the paint and stepping outside the arch to make them pay for sagging off of him.

Again, I wouldn’t expect Kuminga to be the total package from day one. He still has work to do and inconsistency will be an issue for just about every rookie. Yet, these flashes of productivity in the Summer League should have us all excited about the kind of impact he can have throughout his first season in the Bay.