The Golden State Warriors have high hopes for Jonathan Kuminga’s rookie season. Selected with the No.7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga can become the face of the franchise if all goes well.
He is one of the most interesting prospects to enter the league in some time. Despite being widely regarded as a player with immense upside — Kuminga fell to the Warriors because of his status as an underdeveloped asset.
Kuminga has the physical and athletic gifts needed to be a premier two-way player. He’s excelled, at times, due to his dominant build and exceptional ball-handling ability. Yet, Kuminga’s talent will only mean so much if he does not follow it up with hard work.
Versatility will be key to Jonathan Kuminga’s future with the Golden State Warriors. The franchise hopes to polish his raw skills.
Kris Weems, a member of the Warriors’ developmental team, joined NBC Sports Podcast ‘Dubs Talk’ to discuss the current (and future) expectations for Kuminga.
"“When you are going to draft a kid that size, and knowing that long term he is going to be bigger and stronger, he may grow a couple inches taller, his versatility because of his size gives him a chance to stay on the floor longer.”Via Dubs Talk"
Weems goes on to say the Dubs will mostly ask Kuminga to play the three and four — but acknowledge how useful he can be as a small-ball center. Highligting his ability to dribble and pass, Kuminga reminds the Warriors of a young Draymond Green, in that regard, “I mean, Draymond Green is a Hall of Famer because he does a lot of the things that Jonathan does.”
Kuminga is an unpolished shooter and his handling is far from elite. However, he holds the potential to be an instant impact defender. This is where Kuminga will shine early on for the Warriors.
"“Right now, the versatility on defense like I brought up before, the ability to rebound against bigger, stronger guys, and then just figuring out a way to handle the ball better and be able to create for others and shoot the ball better.”Via Dubs Talk"
Specifically, it is Kuminga’s versatility that will make him so important to the Dubs. The value of being able to play multiple positions and defend a variety of opponents will make Kuminga a great tool for Golden State.
Following in Draymond’s footsteps is an obvious path to success but Kuminga also has mentors like Andre Iguodala, Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson to guide him defensively. Capitalizing on this raw potential and adding in the IQ to be a dominant defender is the key to being a star for Kuminga.