The Golden State Warriors are embracing rising star Jonathan Kuminga‘s newfound success in a major way.
Klay Thompson Makes Head-Turning Admission Ahead of Playoffs
It all started with head coach Steve Kerr loosening up the restraints and starting Kuminga in a move prompted by an impromptu midseason one-on-one between the two. Then the veterans —namely the core of Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson —began to see him not just as a luxury but as a necessity. Gone are the days in which they believe they can win a championship without Kuminga. In fact, Thompson admits that Kuminga is “the future of the franchise.”
“(JK) might be the best athlete in the NBA.” – Klay pic.twitter.com/by0Lqk1zOD
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 17, 2024
A burly forward who loves to attack the rim, Kuminga is averaging a career-high 16.2 points per game while shooting a career-high 53.0 percent from the field. Yet, since being named a full-time starter on Jan. 27, Kuminga has been even better. In his last 24 games, the third-year pro is averaging 19.5 points per game and shooting 52.8 percent from the floor. He’s been a bit more of an all-around contributor in that time as well, averaging 5.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 stocks per game.
The Warriors still rely on Curry’s dominance more than any player. After all, Curry may still be in his prime. At 36 years old, he’s averaging 27.0 points and 4.9 assists per game. He’s also as efficient as ever, shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from 3. For the third time in the last four seasons, Curry leads the league in total 3-pointers (723).
However, Kuminga’s performances may now be the penultimate factor in Golden State’s success. At just 21 years old, he is only scratching the surface of his potential. To that point, Kuminga being as productive as he already is helps support Thompson’s belief that he’s the future of the franchise.
Jonathan Kumingas’s Next Step
Kuminga has to unlock his outside shooting after knocking down a career-high 37.0 percent of his 3s last season.
This season, he’s shooting just 32.4 percent from 3. Since becoming a full-time starter, his efficiency has been a little better (34.9 percent) but it’s still behind the curve. Of course, an outside jumper isn’t the end-all-be-all to scoring. Nonetheless, the threat of an efficient outside jumper will force defenses to play him up closer. This ultimately affords him even better opportunities on drives, as players can’t readily play off him to minimize the danger of his athleticism.
If Kuminga is going to be a go-to scorer for the Warriors, and he looks like he will be, he will also need to become a better playmaker. A large part of this simply requires patience, as Kuminga continues to develop his awareness, IQ, and ability through experience. However, an offseason dedicated to read-and-react and passing drills will also go a long way in his development.
