Draymond Green Commends Jonathan Kuminga's Growth After Standout Game vs Lakers

"His performance was great, but that rebound is what everyone in the world's been waiting to see," Green said, highlighting Kuminga's key offensive rebound late in the game. "...If you have superstar potential, you're gonna make big plays. Those are game-winning plays."

However, Green went on to highlight that it was more than just that key rebound. "Overall, of what we've seen since the day he showed up to camp — the force he's playing with, the force he's running with, the force he's rebounding with, the passes he's making. The drop off to Al [Horford] was crazy, you know, he couldn't make that play two years ago. He was incredible tonight."

Given that Curry and Butler have their defined roles as go-to scorers for Golden State, Steve Kerr has tried to mold Kuminga into the ideal complementary player to fit alongside them. With his activity on the glass and the defensive end, paired with his four three-point makes, Kuminga is starting to look like every bit of the player the Warriors need for another title run.

Of course, it's just one game, but as Green pointed out, he's able to do things that he couldn't in years past. If Kuminga does continue to shoot this efficiently from beyond the arc, he'll likely see more defensive attention that will limit his opportunities. Regardless, the more gravity he brings, the better it is for players like Butler and Green to find their spots.

It's hard to tell exactly how strong a test the Lakers were, but Kuminga and the Warriors will have their hands full on Thursday night when they welcome the Denver Nuggets to town for a 10:00 p.m. EST tip-off against a likely NBA Finals contender. If Kuminga can perform well in a matchup against Aaron Gordon, the fifth-year jump could be in store.