Jonathan Kuminga still haunts the discourse surrounding the Golden State Warriors.
Even now that the team has moved on from him, shipping him off to the Atlanta Hawks along with Buddy Hield in exchange for Kristaps Porzings, Warriors fans will be inclined to keep an eye on every performance. After how much focus and attention was given to his contract situation and ongoing role on the roster, it's only natural.
But it's easy to overreact after just one game (or even a stretch of games). In his Hawks debut, Kuminga posted 27 points, seven rebounds, and four assists while sinking 3 of his 4 shots from beyond the arc.
Of course, after years of underperforming in Golden State, it would only be natural to look at a potential Kuminga breakout as an organizational failing of some kind: an indictment on Steve Kerr's development of his young players.
While that may be true to some extent, Warriors fans must not forget a vital Kuminga truth. Even if he had been allowed to develop here, he would never have become the star the team needed.
Jonathan Kuminga's ceiling is still limited until he can do the little things right
For all the talk surrounding Kuminga's fit and floor-spacing concerns next to Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, it's easy to forget one central truth about the young forward's time with the Warriors.
If Kuminga had rebounded and defended, he would have found a consistent role in Steve Kerr's rotation. Kerr is a championship-caliber coach, and he knows how to build a contending roster. If you can't take on starting minutes for one of Kerr's squads, you better do the dirty work if you want to get on the court.
Kuminga failed to do so consistently, and that's why their relationship became as untenable as it did.
Of course Kuminga will have more opportunity with Atlanta. They have enough shooters in their rotation to make Kuminga's offensive skill-set viable, and they have little to lose in giving him extensive run over the remainder of the season.
But at the end of the day, he will still be blocked in the pecking order by Jalen Johnson, and it's hard to see how Kuminga fits into their long-term plans.
The painful truth is this. Kuminga could very well develop into a star-caliber scorer in the right system, or at the very least a potent microwave scorer off the bench. This should not come as a surprise to Warriors fans.
But it's important to be careful in hindsight over this next stretch of games for Kuminga. What was Golden State ultimately supposed to do? Tear their offense down to allow opportunities for a forward on a rookie contract?
Kuminga will be on a mission to prove the Warriors wrong over the coming months. Perhaps they could have handled the situation differently at many junctures. But Kuminga truly could not have made that leap in the Warriors' system, and that will be an important fact to remember no matter how the rest of the season goes.