SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 3: Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga (00) drives for the basket towards Sacramento Kings’ Maurice Harkless (8) within the third quarter on the Chase Middle in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
OKLAHOMA CITY — The performs that caught out to Steve Kerr and Jonathan Kuminga in yet one more sensational displaying from the 19-year-old weren’t any of his high-flying dunks. One was the results of a message from Draymond Inexperienced and the opposite an indication of his rising acumen inside the Warriors’ system.
A display screen and a cost: two performs that doubtless gained’t land on any spotlight reels however flashed the flexibleness Kuminga provides the Warriors, particularly in Inexperienced’s absence, as a small-ball large man.
Whether or not it’s been a product of circumstances — Kevon Looney being the one participant bigger than Kuminga persistently accessible over the current stretch of video games — or the strides made by the rookie, Kerr has proven an growing curiosity in slotting in Kuminga as the first put up presence in Golden State’s largely position-less lineups.
“He’s undoubtedly completely suited to play a small 5, simply along with his power. … and energy and explosion,” Kerr stated Monday evening, after Kuminga’s third consecutive sport scoring in double figures.
Towards the Thunder, Kuminga subbed in for the primary time to switch Looney and stepped on to the court docket subsequent to Steph Curry, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II. Kuminga and Looney shared the ground for lower than 3 minutes, much less time than with Andre Iguodala, who performed solely 6 minutes however managed to feed Kuminga a lob for considered one of his signature slams.
Kuminga’s most typical companions over the previous three video games — throughout which he has averaged 17.7 factors in 25.7 minutes — have been shooters greater than slam dunkers. He traded locations with Looney 3 times in Oklahoma Metropolis; simply as soon as did both sub in or out for one more participant. 
“We’re simply form of placing lineups collectively that we expect could be profitable,” Kerr stated.
To date, the experiment of taking part in Kuminga on the 5 can solely be thought-about a rousing success. The Warriors’ level differential with lineups that function Kuminga as the most important participant on the ground rank within the ninety fifth percentile league-wide in non-garbage-time minutes, in response to the analytics web site Cleansing The Glass.
With the timeline of Inexperienced’s return, not to mention that of James Wiseman, nonetheless murky, Kuminga ought to solely proceed to see extra time matching up towards opposing large males. If his development to this point is any indication, he’ll solely proceed to enhance.
“JK’s beginning to really feel increasingly more snug with what we’re making an attempt to perform on the ground,” Kerr stated. “He had a very nice evening.”
At 6-8 and 210 kilos with unparalleled athleticism and a nascent perimeter sport, Kuminga has at all times profiled as a wing. Till now, he stated, he’d by no means been requested to play the 5. Heck, till final yr, he’d by no means taken a cost, by his personal recollection.
“It’s coming into the sport and taking part in your function doing what they let you know to do, that’s it,” Kuminga stated. “Man, with the way in which we play, everyone performs 5. So that you’ve simply received to go on the market and do what you’ve received to do to assist the crew, so it don’t matter if I’m taking part in 1 or 2. I’m snug in any place.”
He backed up that assertion with two performs in shut succession throughout the second quarter Monday towards the Thunder.
Kerr’s favourite happened 3 minutes previous to Kuminga’s.
A couple of minute into the interval, Kuminga received the ball within the low put up and rapidly fired off a go. He hustled to the highest of the important thing, the place he set a display screen for Jordan Poole, who turned the nook to discover a wide-open lane and a simple slam dunk.
Coming in sizzling 💥
📺 @NBCSAuthenticpic.twitter.com/1sijslPyic
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 8, 2022
“What I liked about that play is he had the ball earlier within the possession and received the ball out of his palms rapidly and went up and set the display screen,” Kerr stated. “It was point-five basketball, every little thing we attempt to preach every day.”
The second play was prefaced by a message Inexperienced lately delivered to Kuminga and the remainder of the crew: Curry, their main scorer, can’t be the one taking all the fees. So, as Lu Dort drove to the ring across the 8-minute mark, Kuminga slid to his proper and put his physique on the road. He drew the whistle and received a hand up from Klay Thompson, solely the second time in his life Kuminga can bear in mind getting up from the hardwood to have a good time an offensive foul (the primary got here with the G League Ignite final season).
Jonathan Kuminga stated this was the second cost he is taken in his life. First was within the G-League. Mentioned Draymond Inexperienced has been on the crew about it, saying Steph Curry cannot lead the crew in factors and expenses taken. pic.twitter.com/Fi75LQZgfb
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 8, 2022
So, now that he has some expertise, what does Kuminga get pleasure from extra: sacrificing his physique on protection, or sacrificing the delight of opposing defenders whereas throwing down on offense?
“The cost,” Kuminga responded, with a smile.