Since he was taken with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, many Golden State Warriors fans have dreamed of Jonathan Kuminga developing into a star player who can support Stephen Curry and become the future of the franchise.
That dream has never been closer to reality than after Saturday's game against the Phoenix Suns, with Kuminga leading the Warriors to an important 109-105 victory on their home floor.
Steve Kerr and Draymond Green have teased that this could be the turning point for Jonathan Kuminga
In a game featuring a pair of MVPs and Finals MVPs in Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, Kuminga was the dominant figure with a second consecutive 34-point performance that matched the career-high he set 24 hours earlier against the L.A. Clippers.
It wasn't just that Kuminga was excellent throughout the game, but that he again made the big plays in the final period. After 15 fourth-quarter points that threatened a Warrior comeback against the Clippers, the former seventh overall pick had another 13 points and five rebounds over the final 12 minutes on Saturday.
Not only was his electric scoring on full display, Kuminga also added nine rebounds and three assists in over 34 minutes. The young forward also guarded Durant for much of the game, helping to keep the former Warrior to 0-of-3 shooting and three turnovers in the fourth-quarter.
Tying his career-high. Grind never stops 💪@googlecloud || Player of the Game pic.twitter.com/Xg4SAuLGlE
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 29, 2024
This is comfortably the best back-to-back performance of Kuminga's career, once again raising the question of whether this is the catalyst for him to breakout into the star that's within him somewhere? It feels like fans shouldn't get their hopes up too much given we've been here before, yet Steve Kerr certainly didn't curtail the excitement during his post-game press conference.
"I'm just so impressed with JK and it feels like he's turning a corner...He was fantastic and this is exactly what we're looking for," Kerr said (via Anthony Slater)."This feels different to me it really does, there's just a different force to his game."
If Kerr didn't do enough to tease fans of what could be to come for Kuminga, veteran forward Draymond Green may have gone a step further by comparing his potential ascension to another former MVP in James Harden.
Green referenced how Harden had to bide his time as a bench player over his first three seasons, having not become a full-time starter until his fourth year and first in Houston. It's an interesting comparison given Harden averaged 16.8 points to win Sixth Man of the Year in his age 22 season, with Kuminga now averaging 16.7 points as a 22-year-old.
Kuminga will face an even bigger challenge when he comes up against the front court combination of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen as the Warriors prepare to host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.