Golden State Warriors: Jonathan Kuminga shows first signs at NBA level

Why this season is different for Warriors’ Kuminga

This season is different, Steve Kerr has already stated “we’re chasing wins”. He’s not going to put up with the youngsters, or anyone for that matter, not conforming to the style that he wants.

Credit to Kerr though for his handling of Kuminga, he didn’t just put him out there against the Bulls with no direction, he gave him real responsibility against a team that went into the contest at 8-3.

The most notable aspect was Kuminga’s individual defense against Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. It was a surprising move to see him even given those tasks, but there’s no doubt he learned plenty in game as well as moving forward.

Despite his best attempt to avoid contact, DeRozan got Kuminga on a pump fake and drew a shooting foul in the first quarter.

From that point, you could see there was a clear emphasis on staying grounded and using his length to contest. Even more so, it was the IQ and lateral quickness that displayed huge defensive potential.

Kuminga was able to read and then get to a spot before the offensive player, not allowing himself to be beaten off the dribble. On multiple occasions, it meant DeRozan was either forced to give the ball up or had to settle for a difficult, contested fadeaway jump shot.

Then against the Hornets, he displayed the versatility that could make him a special defender at NBA level. He had possessions matching up on LaMelo Ball whilst also playing minutes as a small-ball center.