5 Most Improved Player of the Year candidates hiding in plain sight

4. Jonathan Kuminga

After being the Warriors’ lottery pick in 2021, Jonathan Kuminga has had lots of untapped potential, but never a consistent role. Kuminga during the first part of last season was unhappy with his role with the Warriors and made a very public trade request. However, during the second half of the season, he was able to get a more consistent role in the Warriors rotation and it paid dividends.

In 22 games after the All-Star break last season, Kuminga averaged 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists on 52 percent shooting. He also had ten games of 20+ points in that stretch. He was great at attacking the rim and finishing in the paint and showed overall promise as a slasher.

His playmaking also took noticeable strides, as he was able to find open shooters better and was seeing the court more often, instead of the tunnel vision he’s had over the last couple seasons.

The Warriors this season will look a lot different than years past. With the departure of Klay Thompson and the additions of Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson, star Stephen Curry will have a very different supporting cast.

However, that leaves more opportunity for Kuminga to ascend as his co-star. He has shown that with consistent minutes, he can produce and with a likely starting forward role this season, expect him to continue to build on last season’s momentum.