Jonathan Kuminga will be looking to repeat his playoff form from last season with the Golden State Warriors, and his chances of doing so have just been improved after being unleashed by the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
Following weeks of being on a minutes restriction as he managed a knee injury sustained in his final game with the Warriors, Kuminga's role was expanded in Atlanta's 122-116 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena.
Hawks lift Jonathan Kuminga's minutes restriction in time for playoffs
The Hawks may have suffered a third-quarter collapse that led to defeat against their Eastern Conference rival, but the production of the former Warrior forward was undoubtedly a positive in what was the third last game of the regular season.
Kuminga played over 30 minutes for the first time in an Atlanta uniform, recording 24 points, six rebounds and three assists in the six-point loss. The 23-year-old also took the most field-goal attempts of any Hawks player, shooting 11-of-20 from the floor and 2-of-7 from 3-point range.
Kuminga was particularly impressive in the first-half, tallying 14 points, four rebounds and two assists on 7-of-9 shooting as the Hawks took a seven-point lead thanks to a dominant 38-27 second-quarter.
The former seventh overall pick hadn't seen more than 23 minutes in a game since March 1, having played between 18-23 minutes in a bench role for the surging Hawks who remain fifth in the East with two games remaining.
Kuminga has averaged 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his 15 games for the Hawks, shooting an efficient 48.9% from the field and 39.1% from 3-point range after the Warriors finally moved on following nearly five years at the franchise.
Jonathan Kuminga hoping to repeat last season's playoff form
Kuminga's performance and over 30 minutes on Wednesday will raise optimism of more impact come playoff time, having fallen into a significant role with Golden State during the second-round of last year's postseason.
Stephen Curry's hamstring injury meant Kuminga transitioned from multiple DNPs and limited minutes to a primary role with the Warriors over the last four games of their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Golden State lost all four games but Kuminga was still a bright spot, averaging a team-high 24.3 points to go with 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 55.4% shooting from the floor and 38.9% from beyond the arc.
Kuminga will be hoping for similar impact with his new team this postseason, especially if this time it can lead to more success for the Hawks than what the Warriors enjoyed 12 months ago.