LOS ANGELES — It’s not hyperbole that the Golden State Warriors’ offseason quite literally revolved around Jonathan Kuminga. So much so, the organization didn’t even have enough players on their active roster to run a five-on-five scrimmage until they figured out which direction they wanted to take with Kuminga.
Sure, the Warriors had commitments from veterans such as Al Horford, Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton lined up, but that didn’t matter. Golden State couldn’t move forward without figuring out what to do with its 23-year-old restricted free agent forward. After all the dust settled, Golden State ended up being the last team in the association to add a newcomer either via free agency or on the trade market.
Waiting to decide on Kuminga’s future until just weeks before their season-opener on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers was no doubt a risk. However, the Warriors’ thinking — and almost no-brainer decision to bring Kuminga back and kick the can down the road — appears to be the right one. Kuminga finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 33 minutes during the Warriors’ 119-109 win over the Lakers and showed why the best version of Golden State revolves around him being at his best.
“He has really matured,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We have had some really good conversations. He has a better understanding. … I think he just has a better sense of what is needed now compared to past years. I think Jimmy (Butler) has really helped him, too.”
Part of why Kuminga is still the biggest unknown on this roster is that there are flashes — like Tuesday — that prove he should be a crucial cog in the long-term plan. But, at the same time, the reason there have been question marks — and why he signed a two-year, $48 million deal to return — is that there have been perplexing stretches during his career that could lead to an inevitable divorce down the line.
Kuminga wants to be featured. It’s why the pitch from the Sacramento Kings — who were reportedly interested in him this summer — might have been enticing to his camp. Had Kuminga been traded this summer, he could have been a full-time starter in a low-stakes environment. That obviously didn’t happen, but the Warriors could still hypothetically trade him starting on Jan. 15.
For now, Kuminga is a Warrior. And they both need this partnership to work — for however long it may end up lasting — to chase a fifth title for this core. Kuminga might be the biggest X-Factor on the team outside of the obvious “Big Three” of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, simply because of his unique blend of size and athleticism.
Kuminga didn’t shoot well in the first half of the opener, but he added value by creating second-chance opportunities and being disruptive on the defensive end. He also had the toughest assignment on the floor by getting matched up with Lakers star Luka Dončić in extended stretches.
“For him, it hasn’t been easy to find minutes on our team,” Kerr said. “I’m really proud of him for staying with it and really maturing. It’s a great start for him and a great start for us.”
Kuminga has shown what he can do in a high-stakes environment such as last season’s playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he played 27.4 minutes and averaged 20.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists during the five-game series. But before that, he was getting DNPs during the home stretch of the regular season. The hamstring injury to Curry in the playoffs against Minnesota forced Kuminga into a more prominent role — which he capitalized on — that left more questions than answers.
Why can’t Kuminga be like that on a more consistent basis? It’s quite literally a multi-million dollar question.
The reality of how the Warriors built their roster is that there will be games when Curry, Butler, Green and Horford need to rest. Kerr already said this month that Horford won’t be playing in back-to-backs this season and because Golden State has 15 back-to-backs, there could be plenty of opportunities for Kuminga to thrive in a featured role.
Kuminga remains the biggest mystery on the Warriors roster. In fact, a performance like Tuesday’s begs the question of how he ended up out of Golden State’s rotation in the first place.
At the same time, he needs to be at his best to justify the chaos Golden State went through this offseason. If this was a preview of what this season could be, the Warriors will be vindicated in playing the long game because Kuminga appears to be bought into the vision of what the franchise hopes to accomplish.
“When you ask for opportunity, you must deliver,” Green said after Tuesday’s win. “I think he has been very vocal about his opportunity and he delivered. When you see a guy who’s willing to put his neck on the line and be vocal, and they deliver, you must reward them.”