Setting goals for Golden State Warriors’ rookies (and James Wiseman)

Jonathan Kuminga needs to be a consistent defender

As good as Jonathan Kuminga looked at times in the Las Vegas Summer League (surprisingly polished in some aspects) there is no doubt his rookie season will come with more than a few speed bumps. He’s a raw prospect who has plenty of room to grow as an offensive player.

Prepare yourself for multiple stinkers from Kuminga early in his career. He shot below 40 percent in both Summer League and the G-League. In terms of scoring, Kuminga will be an inconsistent contributor.

Consequently, Kuminga can not afford to be equally as inconsistent on defense. He’s a gifted athlete with good instincts on this side of the floor. His effort on defense will determine much of his overall value as a rookie.

The ability to guard 1-5 is something that is given too easily in today’s NBA. Truthfully, only a handful of players can actually accomplish this feat. Yet, Kuminga has the prototypical build of a player who could one day defend all five positions and he has the tools to properly defend the perimeter from the start.

Kuminga will need to grow comfortable making his money on the defensive end for the first portions of his career. He’ll get his chances to score throughout the course of the game as he slashes to the hoop and moves in transition. However, where he can deal most of his damage is wreaking havoc as an uber-versatile defensive threat.