It was always going to be a slow process bringing Jonathan Kuminga up to NBA speed. The Golden State Warriors understood the young prospect would be a developmental project that could take years to reap its benefits.
With Kuminga’s raw skill set as a muscular 6’8″ and springy athleticism, the path to success was clear. Hammer down on his defensive potential and round out his offense to be the next two-way superstar.
At least, that is Kuminga’s ceiling. Much more realistic and achievable this season is taking steps towards simply being a rotational player. For Kuminga, baby steps have been the way forward. With his minutes slowly ramping up — the rookie has a chance to truly shine against some top competitors on the upcoming schedule.
The Golden State Warriors’ upcoming schedule is going to give Jonathan Kuminga a chance to sink or swim early in his rookie season.
Kuminga spent the first five games of the season sidelined due to a knee sprain and played another in the G-League, scoring 15 points and snatching 6 rebounds. Since then, he has gradually increased his role in the pros.
The rookie played fewer than eight minutes per game in his first five outings. In his most recent five-game stint, Kuminga is playing an average of 12.5 minutes. He is posting 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds during this time with an overall plus/minus of plus-33.
He has not shot the ball well just yet. He is 1-of-12 on 3-pointers and shooting just 40.0 percent overall. However, Kuminga has a pop in his step that has surprised a few of his defenders. For example, a smooth spin out of the post led to his only field goal against Detroit the other night.
His handle is something that needs to be tightened but Kuminga has enough explosiveness to muscle his way through defenders when his deceptiveness is not enough. Of course, this is a limited move but it is something that has led to easy buckets for the 19-year-old.
On the defensive end, it is obvious Kuminga is still a rookie. Playing defense is hard for anyone in the NBA, let alone a teenager. Even so, he has held his own in most matchups and his ridiculous frame allows him to make up for that lack of experience.
It is worth repeating that Kuminga is a freak athlete. He rose up for a monster block against James Harden and we can expect more plays like that in the future.
This is good to note as the Dubs will have a few upcoming challenges that Kuminga can rise to. Games against the Portland Trail Blazers, LA Clippers, Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors will provide Kumigna with competent wings to test his strength against. Plus, the frenetic pace of these games should allow for Steve Kerr to get some use out of his high-strung rookie.
It feels safe to assume transition is where Kuminga will be his most effective on offense. However, he has not had enough opportunity to run as NBA.com’s tracking system does not even list him due to a lack of possessions. Hopefully, we see him unleashed in the open floor during this stretch.
Names like Mikal Bridges, Robert Covington, Tobias Harris, Paul George and Scottie Barnes will all give Kuminga a litmus test. I look forward to seeing how the rookie fairs against this competition.