Kuminga shows glimpse of his brilliance in break out game
In a complete turnaround, the Golden State Warriors showed why they are still in championship contention after the forgettable game in Milwaukee. But a pleasant surprise came in the form of a team-high of twenty-five points from Jonathan Kuminga. Although the Dubs were leading by thirty for the majority of the second half, it was still great to see the young rookie get into a groove and prove that he can be better than people think.
His stat line was an impressive one as he put up 25 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. He also showcased an efficient field goal percentage shooting 10/12 from the field. His standout game received high praise from Steve Kerr as well as his teammates. Steve said, “This was his best overall game this season, he got to showcase his full passing and defensive ability as well as knock down a few threes.” His full potential was on display on Friday night but the young 19-year-old has the capability to be much more than just a twenty-five-point performance.
After the game Kerr told reporters that he wants Kuminga to play like a former All Star caliber player: Shawn Marion. He said, “Marion was an All Star because he was a great athlete, he played hard and ran the floor which allowed all kinds of good stuff to happen.” Relating that to Kuminga he followed up with, “That is what we are emphasizing for Kuminga, to run the floor hard and use his natural gifts both ways. Fans certainly saw that against the Bulls as he was first to the ball on defense racking up multiple blocks. But he also was the quickest to the basket, jumping out of the gym for some easy dunks in transition and in the flow of the offense.
Jordan Poole also had some high praise for his teammate's performance saying, “I think Draymond said it best, he has something that a lot of us don’t have.” That something that he is referring to is most likely the extra drive and passion on the court. Along with his freakish athleticism and high basketball IQ at such a young age. Poole also spoke on Kuminga’s jumping ability saying, “I usually ask him after his dunks how he feels on the jump, 1-10, 10 being a 100 percent perfect jump, and he has yet to say 10 on any of his dunks.” This means that out of all the amazing dunks we have seen from him, there is still a better one yet to come.
It seems all of his teammates agree that he can jump out of the gym, but Curry had this to say, “He’s explosive, he has a knack to get wherever he wants to on the floor and I think he made some really good decisive passes out there tonight.” This is exactly what you want to see from your rookie if you are a Dubs fan, just ask him to play his heart out every night and he should eventually see more time on the court. Steph added, “Those are the balances that he has to figure out when he gets more minutes, to keep attacking the rim but also find the open guy at the right time.”
All of which we saw on display against the Bulls. Obviously, the game was a blowout but if Kuminga can keep his confidence from that game and transfer it to every game he plays then he will surely earn more time on the court. After his brilliant game Kuminga told reporters, “I feel like I’m getting better and I’m not going to show all of it because I’m still working and learning.” He has a great mental attitude towards the game and if he keeps it up, he will become a great player in the future.
(Photo credit: Stacy Revere / Getty)