On Jan. 31, the NBA announced the participants for the Rising Stars Challenge during the 2023 NBA All Star Weekend. The Rising Stars Challenge features the game's youngest and brightest players as well as players from the G League. 

While the rookie participants had names such as Detroit Pistons forward Jalen Duren, Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler and current front-runner for Rookie of the Year Orlando Magic forward Paulo Banchero, a quick look at the participants of the sophomores had one particular name missing. 

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga was not selected for this year’s showcase — and I felt like he got snubbed. 

For the young players of the Warriors — it starts on the defensive end. The flashy offense will get them minutes, but what keeps them on the floor is defense. 

Of the four youngsters of guard Jordan Poole, Moses Moody and center James Wiseman, Kuminga has shown the most consistency and willingness to improve on the defensive side.

Though Kuminga’s rookie season was filled with exciting highlights of poster dunks and breakaway jams, his sophomore season was more nuanced. His first season showcased his talent, the second showcased his development. 

Kuminga had 31 steals in the 70 games he suited up in last season — and only 36 games into the 2022-23 season, Kuminga already has 17 steals, according to Fox Sports. 

It’s easy for young players to rely on their gifted athleticism and offensive talent. But, in order to stay on the court, players must lock in defensively in order to gain the trust of the coaches to put them in late-game situations. 

From the games I’ve watched so far, Kuminga’s breakout moment was versus the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 29. 

Kuminga finished the game with 14 points and 10 rebounds on a +21, but it was his defense that stood out. Kuminga was tasked with guarding Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, and while the Mavericks’ superstar had 41 points, Kuminga never backed down from the challenge. 

This past summer, ESPN’s Stephen A Smith had this to say about Kuminga and his attitude. 

“I’m talking attitude, I’m not talking actions,” Smith said. “I’m saying the attitude, the level of focus, commitment, determination, just putting your head down and doing the work. I’m hearing that he’s shortchanging the Warriors in that regard, and he’s got to get his act together because I’m a Jonathan Kuminga fan.”

In the Mavericks game, Kuminga was everything Smith said he wasn’t. Focused, committed, determined and hard-working — all against an MVP candidate on a scoring tear.

On the offensive end, Kuminga demonstrated his development with well-timed cuts that still led to exciting dunks. And with the Warriors down four, Kuminga found himself open on a corner 3-pointer and calmly sank it in. While his 3-point percentage dipped from 33.6% to 31.1%, so did his attempts, according to ESPN. This illustrates Kuminga’s willingness to not settle in the offense and use his size to get easy buckets at the rim. 

Kuminga took advantage of the opportunity given to him this season and deserves some acknowledgement from the NBA. 

Of all the sophomore participants, I would argue that Kuminga deserved a slot over New York Knicks guard Quentin Grimes. While it’s true that Grimes does have better numbers, Kuminga’s impact on the game translates to winning basketball.

(Photo credit: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)