Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga shares his best memory from last season
Jonathan Kuminga surprised many in his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors, earning a reserve role after displaying long-term potential. Kuminga even started three games in the second round series against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Head coach Steve Kerr believed in that length and athleticism would help at both ends of the court and he made the most of the opportunity. Kuminga surprised many after dropping 18 points in 18 minutes in Game 3 against the Grizzlies and 17 points in 24 minutes in Game 5.
Kuminga had many memorable moments in his rookie season and he shared his favorite with Dalton Johnson from NBC Sports Bay Area on the latest edition of the "Dubs Talk" podcast.
“The best memory from my rookie year, I would say just winning a championship, man. Cause I had a lot of ups and downs. There were days things was going my way, there were days things wasn’t going my way, but I went through it. At the end of the day I can actually call myself a champion, so that’s the biggest memory.”
The 19-year-old helped check Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant one-on-one and also provided support for the Warriors around the rim. However, the Warriors kept him on the bench in Game 6 and he played sporadically in the Western Conference Finals against the Mavericks and in the NBA Finals against the Celtics.
What to expect from Kuminga next season
Kuminga could play a much bigger role for the Warriors next season. The team wants to jumpstart the development of their young core, especially because key reserves like Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson and Nemanja Bjelica left in free agency.
The Warriors signed Donte DiVincenzo, who averaged 10.3 points with the Kings last season, and JaMychal Green, who averaged 6.4 points for the Nuggets to help their second unit. DiVincenzo and Green are solid role players who can give the Warriors quality minutes off the bench next season, and Kuminga can also emerge as a weapon off the bench because of his flexibility.
Golden State has a massive hole in the frontcourt and Kuminga has to earn more minutes and contribute significantly. While these are high expectations for a second-year player who will turn 20 in October, the Warriors love Kuminga’s team-first attitude. If Kuminga steps up in a major way during the regular season then he can have a more important role in the playoffs.
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