Jonathan Kuminga impressed on the court in his rookie season and gave hope that perhaps he could amount to something special for the Warriors in the future. The 20-year-old, who was the 7th pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, was expected to take that next step in the 2022-23 campaign, but it hasn’t worked out for him so far.
Kuminga has seen his minutes drop compared to last season (16.9 to 10.8) in what has been a disappointing start to the new campaign. He is averaging just 3 points per game and while it is still very early on in the season, you do worry about how this campaign has started for him.
NBA Insider Gives A Concerning Update On Jonathan Kuminga
Perhaps the biggest indicator that things aren’t going well for the youngster came in the Warriors’ last game against the Heat where he didn’t play a single minute. The Warriors are loaded with talent and if someone isn’t playing well, then there are plenty of options to consider. That’s not ideal for a young player, as you want them to play through adversity in order to grow and an anonymous Western Conference executive told Sean Deveney that Kuminga isn’t someone who wants to wait around.
via Heavy:
“The guy you worry about is Kuminga,” a Western Conference executive told Deveney. “The stuff that was said about him, about his work ethic and all of that, the reality is, he wasn’t playing, and he was frustrated. Everyone knew it last year. With the Warriors, they have been lucky that everyone that they have kind of falls in line. Moody, Wiseman, I think those guys get it. But Kuminga wants to play.”
“He has never been in this situation, and it is obviously hard for him,” the executive said. “He could probably average 12, 15 points a game if he played regular minutes. He knows that. But the way the team is built, he has to wait, and it does not seem like waiting is in his DNA.”
The report that the executive mentions here came from Stephen A. Smith, who stated that there were concerns about Kuminga’s discipline and his attitude. The Warriors came to his defense after those comments, with Andre Iguodala dismissing it while head coach Steve Kerr said it made no sense.
The Warriors really are in a unique position, where they are contending for a title but also have a bunch of really talented youngsters. Striking the right balance in terms of developing them while trying to win as much as possible is difficult and if they don’t do a good enough job, then some discontent is inevitable. If you go by what Charles Barkley says, then the Warriors need to make sure that Kuminga gets more time on the court, as he called him one of the youngsters who need to help carry the team this season, as Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are just not the same anymore.
