Getty Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga handles the ball during a preseason bout with the Washington Wizards.
In his rookie season, Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga flashed his explosive athleticism on dunks and soft shooting touch from behind the 3-point arc.
This year, it’s Kuminga’s defense that has helped him move up in the rotation.
After struggling to stay in head coach Steve Kerr’s rotation in the early part of this season, Kuminga has secured an important place and taken over for the versatile Andrew Wiggins during his injury absence. Kerr opened up this week about Kuminga’s renewed focus on defense, which the Warriors coach said has been key to finding playing time.
Steve Kerr Praises Jonathan Kuminga’s Defensive Commitment
In a December 29 appearance on “Damon and Ratto” on 95.7 The Game, Kerr praised Kuminga for buying into his role on defense. Kerr said that has helped the second-year forward break an early logjam that kept him near the back of the rotation.
“Honestly he realized that’s his ticket to playing time,” Kerr said. “Like all young players, he wants to score and he’s got that potential, but it’s not what we need from him right now.”
Kuminga’s breakthrough may have come in a game that the Warriors actually lost. In a November 29 game against the Dallas Mavericks that Golden State would lose 116-113, the Warriors went down 12 points early and Kerr said he looked to the second unit for a spark. Kuminga hit some key shots as the Warriors closed the lead, but Kerr said after the game it was his defense that made the biggest difference.
“Best game I’ve ever seen JK play,” Kerr said. “Because everything he did contributed towards making an impact on winning. His defense on Luka was fantastic. He was disciplined, he stayed down, he challenged shots. He had maybe a couple blocks. He stayed patient offensively. He just took the shots that were there. He knocked down a big three. JK has been fantastic — he’s really coming into his own and that’s very exciting.”
After averaging just 10.9 minutes per game in October, Kuminga has found a more significant role with the team in recent weeks. He has averaged 21.9 minutes per game in December, scoring 9.6 points with 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Warriors Staying on Track Without Steph Curry
Kuminga has been a big part of the Warriors remaining on track without star Steph Curry, who has been out since suffering a shoulder injury on December 14. The Warriors have gone 4-3 in his absence, including a Christmas Day win over the Memphis Grizzlies. At 18-18, the Warriors stand in 10th place in the Western Conference but are just five games out of the No. 1 spot.
Kuminga’s play during that stretch has earned some praise, especially a late steal that helped preserve a 110-105 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on December 27. After the play, Kerr praised Kuminga’s growth and said it reminded him of another two-way Warriors player.
Here were the five big Jonathan Kuminga plays in crunch time tonight vs Hornets
*Rips away a steal from PJ Washington
*Traffic rebound over Plumlee
*Gets available for dunk
*Floater in iso vs Hayward
*Cuts open for another dunk
“He looked like Andre Iguodala on that play,” Kerr said. “That’s an Andre-type play. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Andre’s been mentoring him throughout the season and last year. He’s really coming a long way. The focus on being a defensive stopper over the last month, he’s really found a role and settled into it.”