Jonathan Kuminga is quietly finding his way with the Warriors

While many NBA rookies shine bright in their very first season and gain the media’s attention, for most newcomers to the league, the process is a little slower.

They need to figure out how to fit in with their new team and find their own path to improvement, which can be especially challenging if they begin their career on a strong team with a certain reputation.

This is what Jonathan Kuminga had to do.

Jonathan Kuminga is quietly finding his way with the Warriors

The forward was picked seventh overall in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors after skipping college to play in the G-League for a year. Despite his prominent standing in the draft, Kuminga was not selected for this year’s Rising Star game.

Many consider him a snub, but up to the time of the team’s selection, the rookie only averaged 7.8 points and 2.8 rebounds. Earlier in the season, Kuminga did not receive much playing time, sometimes sitting out entire games because he struggled with certain concepts. especially on defense, mainly when to close out and when not to.

Warriors’ Coach Steve Kerr attributed this to his lack of experience, as the 19-year-old is still very young to be playing at such a high level. We can see Kuminga learning and improving, though, as he is working to earn his minutes on the court.

Kuminga also often runs into foul trouble, and it has been reported that he’s been late for practice on several occasions. But throughout the season, he has been learning from the Golden State veterans and is getting the guidance he needs to improve. Most importantly though, the young player is showing the willingness to work hard and learn, which will help him throughout his NBA journey.

All season long, Kuminga has been receiving less attention than some of his draft classmates such as Evan Mobley and Franz Wagner, whose teams allow more room for some of the mistakes a rookie is undoubtedly bound to make.

A championship contender with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson on the roster does not allow many mistakes though. Being a young player on such a strong team means fewer opportunities to show your true talent than players of the same age receive on lower-profile teams.

But nevertheless, it seems like Kuminga is managing to find his way in the league in spite of that. Over the last few games, Kuminga showed what he is really capable of and what he will hopefully be able to consistently offer the Warriors in a few seasons.

Over the last six games, the rookie is averaging 15.4 points and 4.8 rebounds. In the Warriors’ 117-115 win against the Lakers, he started in place of Draymond Green, guarded LeBron James, grabbed nine rebounds, and scored an impressive 18 points.

After the game, Klay Thompson was so impressed with his young teammate that he gave reporters from Fadeaway World his opinion on Kuminga’s performance.

"“Isn’t that crazy [Kuminga] won’t be in the Rising Stars game? He just guarded LeBron James for however many minutes, gave us 18 [points] on 11 shots, and almost a double-double. Like, how many more 19-year-olds, 20-year-olds are doing that?”"

Throughout the rest of the season and for years to come, Jonathan Kuminga will continue to improve at his own pace. And if he is given the right guidance and chance of playing relevant minutes to gain experience, he might grow into a centerpiece for the team’s lineup.