Jonathan Kuminga has arrived as the Golden State Warriors‘ best player not named Stephen Curry.
The 21-year-old Kuminga poured 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter as the Warriors beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-107 on Tuesday, January 30, to snap a two-game skid at home.
“The way he’s attacking the basket, I don’t think there’s anyone that can stop him from getting to his spot,” Green said of Kuminga. “So at times, I go at him a little bit about like you took the three and that’s fine, I don’t mind you taking a three but can somebody stop you from getting anywhere you want to go? Just challenging him and then also building trust. So, he knows that no matter how it’s going, we trust him and we got his back.”
Kuminga combined with Curry for 22 of the Warriors’ 33 points in the final quarter.
Jonathan Kuminga’s Coming out Party Continues
Kuminga has scored 20 or more points over his last seven games.
In that span, he’s played 30 or more minutes in four games, including his first back-to-back 35-or-more-minutes stint. In his past seven games, the former lottery pick averaged 25.1 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 61.9% from the field and 54.5% from the 3-point line.
His vastly improved offensive repertoire was on full display in the most crucial stretch of the game in their latest win.
After the 76ers came within three, 93-90, with 8:39 left in the fourth quarter, Kuminga hit a 3, made a reverse dunk, and canned a free throw in between a Curry 3-pointer, in a 14-1 Warriors run that put the game away.
JONATHAN KUMINGA WITH THE REVERSE JAM 😱
Kuminga sealed the win with a driving layup off a Curry assist after the 76ers trapped Curry at the logo.
“Even without Klay [Thompson] tonight, who’s a spacer, you have to be aware of where [Kuminga] is,” Curry said Kuminga’s game-sealing layup. “Make the simple play and something good came out of it which was nice.”
Kuminga’s growth in those moments did not go unnoticed in Curry’s eyes.
“Maybe last year or a couple of months ago, it might have been a pump fake or trying to analyze the situation, and then by that time, the defense kind gets reset. Whatever the play is, whatever the look is, or the decision he made, is the right one. Just be aggressive,” Curry added.
Jonathan Kuminga Credits Draymond Green’s Leadership
Kuminga’s confidence grew even more upon Green’s return.
“When he’s attacking the basket like he is, there’s not many people in this league that can jump with him,” Green said of the Warriors’ rising star.
Kuminga acknowledged that. It’s not that he’s lacking confidence. He is full of it. That’s why he complained about his lack of playing time because he’s confident he can do so much more. All he needed was the green light to go off which did not come until Green gave him.
“It’s always great to have the leader of the team giving [us] that type of confidence and it’s not like we lost it,” Kuminga said. “It’s just that every other day, no matter if we have confidence or not, he’s always there, always hyping me out — me and [Andrew Wiggins] at the same time to just tell us to keep going no matter what.”
And Kuminga has kept going without looking back.
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Steph Curry, Draymond Green Sound off on Warriors Rising Star