Golden State Warriors: Fading hope for Jonathan Kuminga according to analyst

Golden State Warriors’ youngster Jonathan Kuminga faces a pivotal offseason in preparation for what could be a make-or-break third season in the NBA.

The 20-year-old had an impressive regular season, exciting fans with his two-way potential throughout over 20 minutes per game under Warrior head coach Steve Kerr. However, some of the optimism was lost after he was axed from the Golden State rotation during the playoffs, leaving frustration for many and opening up speculation regarding his future with the franchise.

Jonathan Kuminga is headed for a crucial third season with hope fading that he can develop into a bonafide All-Star for the Golden State Warriors.

In a recent episode of his podcast, The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo broke down former top 10 picks into four different categories. This ranged from tier one, ‘not worried about them’, to tier 4, ‘it’s just over, no expectations anymore’. Russillo placed Kuminga into tier 3, characterized as “if you don’t do anything this year, who are we kidding?”

"“Kuminga. Pretty self-explanatory. Yes there are flashes. You know what? 450+ guys that play in the NBA, they’re all pretty good at basketball – there’s usually going to be some flashes”, Russillo said. “Now granted, Kuminga’s flashes are probably more impressive than 90% of the league, but the non-flash stuff..it’s just not there enough.”"

The outlook on Kuminga really depends on how much you want to buy-in to the postseason ramifications. Was it a major dent in his growing game, or was it a month-long period where Steve Kerr was to blame for not playing him more?

Both can actually be true, but regardless it will be interesting to see how Kuminga responds to begin next season. With Golden State’s roster at present, there’s a clear runway for him to be the seventh man in the rotation behind the consensus starting five and newly acquired point-guard Chris Paul.

After Jordan Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards last month, some believed Kuminga was the next young player who could be on the move. His place in the Bay seems secure for now, seen sitting courtside with veteran teammates in Paul, Stephen Curry and Gary Payton II at Summer League on Sunday.

Taken with the seventh overall pick in 2021, Kuminga won a championship in his rookie year and posted averages of 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in the 2022-23 season.