Getty Jonathan Kuminga drives the ball in a game against the Detroit Pistons.
Klay Thompson can see the future of the Golden State Warriors, and he says it belongs to his uber-athletic 19-year-old teammate.
Thompson shared some big praise for rookie Jonathan Kuminga after his first career double-double in a win over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. After starting the year outside of the regular rotation, Kuminga has gradually taken on a larger role and could eventually be headed for stardom, Thompson predicts.
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Thompson Shares Love for His Teammate
Kuminga has assumed a bigger role since an injury to starting big man Draymond Green, moving into the starting lineup and turning in a series of strong performances. He had 12 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes in Tuesday’s 102-86 win over the Pistons, and over the last several games has drawn some of the more difficult defensive assignments.
Kuminga’s play particularly impressed Thompson, who predicted that the teenager one year removed from the G-League will be a star in the NBA one day.
“How many 19-year-olds can play above the rim like him?” Thompson said. “Go out there and get a double-double like him? I’m so excited for JK’s future because he has an incredibly high ceiling, and one day down the line it will be his team or he’ll be a huge part of the team. I see him being one of the better players in the league one day.”
Kuminga’s versatility has also impressed Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who noted how well the rookie has fit into the starting unit.
“With Draymond out, it feels like a good time to play JK with Steph and Klay and Loon,” Kerr said, via The Athletic. “He’s a natural big wing slash small-five. You could throw him anywhere defensively. So we really want to see what he looks like in that starting group. … He’s earned this.”
Kuminga’s Immediate Future
While the Warriors may one day belong to Kuminga, the rookie’s role for the immediate future may not be so certain. He will likely remain in the starting lineup while Green is out with a back injury, but is expected to move back to the bench after that. Kerr has gained a reputation for moving rookies along slowly, and shuttled both Kuminga and fellow rookie Moses Moody between Golden State and the team’s G-League affiliate in Santa Cruz earlier in the season to get more playing time.
Andrew Wiggins believes Jonathan Kuminga’s rookie rise for the Warriors starts with this (via @DaltonJ_Johnson)
Kuminga will likely maintain a larger role going forward, but just how much remains to be seen. Steph Curry said it could be largely up to Kuminga and how well he handles the rigors of a heavier rotation.
“I mean, it’s kind of hard to predict, but it’s also on him to maintain focus on what’s going to make him better whether he’s playing 25 minutes, whether he’s in the G League, whether he’s coming in for spot minutes,” Curry said after Kuminga scored 25 points in 25 minutes in a win over the Chicago Bulls on January 14. “That effort that he showed tonight was amazing and he needs to do that every time he has an opportunity to play because every rep he gets is important for his development, for his confidence, developing his skill set.”
Kuminga will likely remain in the starting lineup for at least a little longer. The team said that Green will be out at least two weeks, at which time his injury will be re-evaluated.
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