Golden State Warriors: 3 Keys to Jonathan Kuminga’s development

Golden State Warriors need Jonathan Kuminga to develop as a shooter

Jonathan Kuminga might be able to skate by as a quality player even if he doesn’t develop into an elite playmaker or defender. Yet, failure to expand his game to behind the 3-point line will likely make or break Kuminga’s future in the NBA.

There is just little wiggle room for players who can’t shoot in today’s league. Even Ben Simmons, someone who is as elite as it gets in terms of passing and defending has seen his value plummet due to his stunning inability to shoot 3-pointers.

In Summer League, Kuminga shot a rough 27.8 percent from deep. This was somehow better than his G-League performance in which he shot below 25 percent from the 3-point line on 65 total attempts.

Kuminga will have to find a way to improve in this aspect if he wants any chance of being a star in this league. I have hope that just about anyone is capable of blossoming into an average catch-and-shoot threat with proper development. However, Kuminga will not break into that upper-stratosphere unless he is able to shoot consistently both as a spot-up player and pull-up threat.

This is where his trajectory gets dicey. His mechanics are fluid though he often drills shots straight off the rim or comes up short. Finding a way to increase his arch and get more air under his attempts will help. Obviously, the Splash Brothers will be able to guide him in the right direction.

Still, the overarching theme here is Kuminga has to put in the work himself. You don’t become a 3-point shooter overnight and I wouldn’t expect him to be a legitimate threat for a few seasons at minimum. Nevertheless, Kuminga’s ceiling is reliant upon how much of a shooter he becomes.