Jonathan Kuminga’s defense is becoming crucial to the Warriors
By Elaine Blum
Kuminga is learning and earning his role on the Golden State Warriors
After last season’s championship, Golden State saw some vital role players depart, hoping that their young trio of Kuminga, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman would make up for the losses. That has not quite happened yet, but Kuminga seems to be learning how to embrace the role Gary Payton II played so perfectly last season as a defensive weapon and dunker.
Showing his talent and skills on defense and accepting that somewhat simple role is what put Kuminga back into Steve Kerr’s rotation and is continuing to earn him minutes. He is learning that he does not have to be the team’s top scorer or dazzle with a fancy offensive game to earn time on the court.
That might be the most important lesson he has learned in the NBA so far because the Warriors do not need another ball-dominant scorer. They do not need a new franchise player (yet), but someone who fits well with their core group of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green while they are all still able to play together and someone who can bring some energy to the second unit.
Kuminga has shown improvements on offense, as he is much calmer and selects his shots more wisely than last season, but his defense is what gets him on the court and what the coaching staff is watching when he is playing. Standing at 6’8″ with a wingspan of almost 7 feet, Kuminga is a nightmare to have in front of you when you are shooting, but he can do much more than irritate shooters with his long arms. Kuminga is a very versatile defender who can guard positions 1 through 4 without any problems and is effective on and off the ball alike.
On the ball, Kuminga plays tight defense and is always ready to pick up the ballhandler early. Even if it is not his man who gets the inbound pass, Kuminga is there to put some pressure on the ball every possession before quickly finding his assignment. Off the ball, he is always aware and ready to double-team the ball, but thanks to his speed and athleticism, he has no problem recovering and getting back to his man in time to close out kick-out threes.