Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green made a curious admission on Wednesday stating that he believes Jonathan Kuminga will have to play a part if the Warriors hope to win another NBA Championship.
Draymond Green made a curious admission saying that Jonathan Kuminga would have to play a part if the Warriors hope to win a championship. The comment was in regards to Jonathan’s role on the team. Read more in detail here: draymond green.
The Golden State Warriors have won titles with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Andre Iguodala, and Klay Thompsom (whenever he returns). Jordan Poole and Otto Porter Jr. are two veterans that contribute to the club.
Green, on the other hand, surprised some NBA observers when he said that if the Warriors are to win another championship, youngster Jonathan Kuminga would have to play a key part.
On an experienced squad like the Dubs, what role might a 19-year-old play?
Green said that it was a simple but significant one.
The Warriors selected Jonathan Kuminga seventh overall in the 2021 draft.
The Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga defends the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers’ Greg Brown III. | Abbie Parr/Getty Images
Jonathan Kuminga was one of the Warriors’ two first-round draft selections in 2021. Moses Moody of Arkansas, a fellow one-and-done graduate, was taken at No. 14 by the organization.
The trio, which also includes James Wiseman, the No. 2 overall choice in 2020, creates an intriguing dynamic inside the organization. A veteran-laden club with championship hopes is on one side. Three young, raw, high-potential draft selections, on the other hand, are waiting to develop.
Kuminga came into the draft as the most raw of the three. The athletic ability was there; it was the rest of the package that was lacking.
Kuminga was part of the inaugural group of prospects to go through the G-League Ignite program, which included Jalen Green, the Houston Rockets’ No. 2 overall choice.
The highly regarded prospect started all 13 games he appeared in as an 18-year-old, averaging 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds on 38.7% shooting and 24.6 percent shooting from three on 5.0 attempts a night.
Golden State, on the other hand, did not choose Kuminga because of his skill set. They chose him because of his unusual and unteachable physical qualities.
That’s all Green, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward, has to offer the Warriors.
The 19-year-old boasts physical abilities that no one else on Golden State’s roster has.
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Kuminga is a large, powerful, quick, explosive, and athletic player. You could use just about any complementing term to describe someone’s physical characteristics to describe him.
Coach Steve Kerr needed some enthusiasm in a Dec. 13 away game against the Indiana Pacers, so he glanced down the bench and yelled Kuminga’s name.
The youngster played bully ball on his opening possession, getting to the hoop for a layup. After that, he had two one-on-one stops against Pacers All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis (6-11, 240 pounds).
The Warriors embarked on a 13-0 run to take control of the game, winning 102-100.
Six minutes, three points, and one rebound for Kuminga. However, according to Draymond Green, who spoke to NBC Sports, he was precisely what the Warriors needed to win that game:
I believe he will have to play a role in our success if we are to go far. He just brings something to the table that none of the other men do. Some of the skills he possesses as a basketball player, such as his agility, speed, athleticism, strength, and youth, are not available to the rest of us.
So I believe he will be crucial for us, and tonight was crucial. He put in his time. It’s been six minutes. Plus eleven. He put in his time. All you can ask for is that. Work your minutes and, ideally, they will increase. It was amazing to see. It was just what we needed.
Draymond Green criticizes Jonathan Kuminga, a rookie with the Warriors.
In the second half of the game, Kuminga did not appear. He’s seldom on the field for more than seven minutes each night. But he’s using them to make a statement.
Kuminga has already established himself as a key player for the Warriors.
His abilities were believed to need significant improvement, and this has proved to be the case. This season, Jon has appeared in 18 NBA games and six G-League games.
Kuminga has averaged 7.2 points per game in his 18 appearances with the Warriors. He’s taking less than three shots a game, and fewer than one from three.
His G-League numbers are decent — 18.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game — but he’s still turning the ball over more than four times a night and shooting 36.7 percent from the field and 25.6 percent from three.
However, production isn’t what Golden State need. The rookie’s two best attributes right now, hardly more than a quarter of a season into his NBA career, are energy and physicality.
Kuminga needs a lot of work, and he won’t be able to play 15 minutes off the bench for the Dubs this season.
But, just on the basis of his athleticism and physical talents, the Warriors will need his services, and they are well aware of this.
NBA.com provided all data.
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