Golden State Warriors: Ranking each member of young core by ceiling

Mar 25, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) calls a play against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) calls a play against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
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Golden State Warriors Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Golden State Warriors Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Jonathan Kuminga is the next Golden State Warriors’ superstar

No other member of the Golden State Warriors’ young core has the upside of Jonathan Kuminga. He might never reach his full potential — but Kuminga has superstar all over.

Let’s start from a physical standpoint. Standing at 6’7″ but likely still growing, Kuminga is a bulky forward with quick feet and an innate ability to shift directions on the fly. He debuted his silky smooth handle in Las Vegas as he crossed his opponents and bullied his way to the rim multiple times.

The NBA won’t be as easy for Kuminga who will no longer be able to simply overpower defenders when attacking the basket. And, as impressive as his handle is, Kuminga is far from being an elite dribbler at his position like Kevin Durant or Paul George.

Spacing the floor is going to be a problem early on, as well. Kuminga shot below 30 percent from the 3-point line in Summer League. Though, he has routinely shown a skill for making mid-range fallaways.

Everything is there for Kuminga. He has good shooting mechanics and upper-echelon athleticism. A future as a multi-faceted star is in the cards. All that is left is to work his butt off and hit all of his development checkpoints to reach his peak.