Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is a critical part to the Warriors Two Timeline plan

In his rookie season, Kuminga demonstrated his athletic prowess with athletic highlights and efficient playmaking. Additionally, Kuminga shot a respectable 33% from 3-point range and averaged a little over nine points on a 60% true shooting percentage, according to ESPN.

His high basketball IQ complements perfectly with the Warriors high-powered offense.

However, in the start of the 2022-23 NBA season, Kuminga found himself in a bit of a sophomore slump. Besides the Nov. 21 game versus the New Orleans Pelicans where the Warriors rested all of their starters, Kuminga saw inconsistent playing time and was unable to gain any rhythm in the midst of an important season.

Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr said the reason why he hasn’t given Kuminga minutes was due to the Warriors championship aspirations.

“We’re the defending champs and there’s not a lot of easy minutes to give to anybody,” Kerr said. “As long as [Kuminga] keeps working, keeps developing, things are going to work out for him. He’s going to get his chance, usually sooner rather than later in this league.”

And Kerr was correct.

Kuminga posted his best performance of the early season in a 116-113 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 29. Kuminga had 14 points on six-for-eight shooting to go along with 10 rebounds. Additionally, Kuminga had the task of guarding Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic, which was no ordinary task.

Though the Warriors lost the game, Kerr had high praise for the former No. 7 overall pick after the game.

“Best game I’ve ever seen [Kuminga] play,” Kerr said. “Everything he did contributed to making an impact on winning. His defense on Luka [Doncic] was fantastic. He was disciplined, he stayed down, he challenged shots. I think he had a couple of blocks, he stayed patient offensively. He just took the shots that were there, and knocked down a big three.”

In the NBA, especially as a young player, it’s easy to get caught up in the highlights and fancy plays and get labeled as a potential young talent. But, where the real work begins is on the defensive end.

Despite the pressure and knowing that he had the task of guarding a front-runner for MVP, Kuminga put his best foot forward and demonstrated how he could be part of the Warriors organization long term. From the moment he stepped on the floor, Kuminga was engaged on the defensive end. It’s impossible to stop a talent like Doncic, but Kuminga did his best to bother him as much as he could and make him uncomfortable.

We’ve already witnessed his potential on offense last season — but his defensive play will make him a valuable two-way player.

Additionally, as the Warriors roster entails right now, the forward position is where the most opportunities could potentially come from for the young players.

Newcomer and veteran forward JaMychal Green has been moved to the center position in a small-ball lineup with the second unit. This leaves two-way forward Anthony Lamb and Kuminga for minutes at the forward position, since rookie forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. is spending his rookie season in the G League.

“He’s a four right now,” Kerr said. “He still has a lot of growth ahead of him skill-wise. In the future, I could see him playing the three or four. But, right now, for this team, with the lineups, we need spacing — which puts him at the four.”

Kuminga is starting to understand that in this league, sometimes it’s more than just the stats and the fancy plays. What gets the most attention from coaches is the hard work, discipline on defense and consistent ability to stay ready when your number is called.

“I spoke to Coach [Kerr] the other day, I was like, ‘I will try my best even if I’m not scoring,” Kuminga said. “They’re not going to stop me from coming again and trying to make an impact on what’s really needed at the moment.”

In his early stages, Kuminga is demonstrating that he has a deep understanding of what’s needed to win at this level. When you’re in an organization that has unselfish leadership from the top down like the Warriors, it’s easy to see how some of that culture is being influenced on the younger players.

(photo credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)