Former Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga played well in his debut with the Atlanta Hawks, but that’s nothing new. He had big-time games in Golden State, too. The problems arise when he’s not on fire, because that’s when things go south. That’s a reality the Atlanta Hawks are destined to learn.
Kuminga showed out in his debut for the Hawks. He finished the game with 27 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. And in his second game with Atlanta, Kuminga put up 17 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Everything has gone swimmingly, but Kuminga hasn’t gone through any slumps just yet.
That’s when things get scary.
Hawks could inevitably run into same Jonathan Kuminga issues Warriors had if his play goes south
Kuminga had some impressive games with the Warriors. He put up big numbers and helped them win games. But when he wasn’t on fire, he wasn’t playing, and that’s when the relationship between him and the organization went south.
So far in Atlanta, Kuminga has been a featured part of the rotation. He’s playing a ton of minutes and, in his second game, Quin Snyder even inserted him into the starting lineup. The Hawks are 2-0 with Kuminga in the lineup.
But what happens when Kuminga has a rough shooting game? What happens if the Hawks add players who need the ball more than Kuminga? Will the same problems arise?
Obviously, playing for this version of the Hawks is much different than playing for the Stephen Curry-led Warriors. Everything about the two situations is different.
Golden State has been trying to compete for titles, and Steve Kerr didn’t believe that Kuminga was helping them win games at that high of a level.
Meanwhile, these Hawks don’t really have expectations. They aren’t really in the playoff picture, and they’re entering a new era of Atlanta basketball. They want to see where Kuminga fits into that picture.
But again, if things start to go south with Kuminga’s on-court play, and Snyder decides to start benching him a little bit, will the former Warrior start to get upset, just as he did in San Francisco?
How will he deal with adversity when it inevitably hits? What will Snyder and the Hawks do if he starts getting upset? And how much is Kuminga going to want on his next contract?
These are all potential issues that the Hawks could run into. Issues that the Warriors know all too well.
The only question is, how much will a change of scenery make in the case of Kuminga?