Jonathan Kuminga’s defense is becoming crucial to the Warriors

Kuminga’s defense is having a real impact on the Golden State Warriors

When Kuminga is on the court, it is evident that the 20-year-old gives it his all on every defensive possession, as he works hard to force turnovers or even 24-second violations. He is still young, and obviously, his game is not flawless, but Kuminga is willing to work hard to improve.

Sometimes, for example, players beat him on the first step. Instead of giving up and calling for help from the defense, Kuminga hustles, recovers quickly, and almost always manages to get back in front of the ball, or at least stick with it long enough to bother his opponent.

Besides his individual defense improving with every game, Kuminga also figured out how to exist in the Warriors’ team defense, where he works especially well with Green and Kevon Looney on defensive rotations in the paint. In recent games, Kuminga’s hustle has been rewarded by Kerr, who does not hesitate to put Kuminga on some of the toughest assignments opponents throw at the Warriors.

In the team’s most recent game against Minnesota, Kuminga really got an opportunity to show off his defensive versatility when he guarded three starters in Anthony Edwards, D’Angelo Russell, and Karl-Anthony Towns, depending on what the situation called for.

His best game of the season so far was unquestionably against the Dallas Mavericks, though. The Warriors lost a close game, but Kuminga showed out in the matchup. He led the Warriors in rebounds and plus/minus and guarded the league’s leading scorer, Luka Doncic.

There is only so much one can do to stop Doncic, but Kuminga certainly bothered him as much as anyone could have. Doncic shot only 2-7 from the field with Kuminga on him over about 20 possessions and committed two turnovers. Doncic still ended up scoring 41 points, but holding his own against such a talented scorer is a great accomplishment for a young player like Kuminga, and it showed what he could be for the Warriors going forward.

Currently, Kuminga has a defensive rating of 113.3, which is very close to the ratings of Green and Wiggins, two of the Warriors’ best defenders, and should continue to improve if he keeps up the level of defense he has been showing of late.

Kuminga is still a project for the Warriors, but he is figuring out his role on this stacked team, as he is learning that less is more for him right now. He does not score as much as he probably could, but playing great defense, running the floor, grinding, and doing all the little things well instead of trying to prove that he can be a star in the league is exactly what will get him there eventually.