Draymond Green picks out the moment Jonathan Kuminga ‘delivered’ in Golden State Warriors win

Draymond Green says Jonathan Kuminga did something ‘everyone had been waiting to see’

With one minute remaining in the game and the Warriors up seven, Kuminga all but sealed the victory with a hustle play on the offensive end. Jimmy Butler’s three-point attempt hit back-iron, but Kuminga rose high over DeAndre Ayton to secure the offensive rebound.

That led to Stephen Curry’s dagger three over Gabe Vincent from the parking lot, which put Golden State up 10 with 50 seconds remaining.

After the game, Green said Kuminga’s rebound was what everyone had been waiting to see from him. He said, “His performance was great. That rebound is what everybody has been waiting to see. You got that athleticism, you got superstar potential, you got to make big plays.

“Those are game-winning plays… We can all ask for opportunity, when you get opportunity, you got to deliver. He’s been very vocal about his opportunity, and he delivered.

“And so when you see a guy that’s willing to put their neck on the line and be vocal and then they deliver, you also must reward them because if they don’t, you tear them down. That’s just naturally what happens. If you are vocal and you don’t deliver, you get torn down.”

Kuminga drew a line in the sand this summer, and proved in the season opener that he was right to demand more minutes. If he continues this form, he can be a key piece on the Warriors’ ageing roster.

Green went on to say Kuminga’s success came from his patience, allowing the game to come to him. He explained, “He stayed so patient offensively. It wasn’t going well for him offensively early, and he just stayed patient. And as he stayed patient, the game just flipped in his direction. 

“It was about the rebound, but the 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… he was incredible tonight and I want to make sure you know that.”

Draymond Green defends Jonathan Kuminga for giving up 43 points against Luka Doncic

Doncic was unbelievable in his first opening night as a Laker. The Slovenian superstar had 43 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists despite only shooting 2-10 from three on the game. 

Doncic’s body transformation this summer appears to have made him unguardable, and despite the Lakers’ loss, he showed exactly why he was one of the preseason favorites for MVP.

Kuminga picked up Doncic one-on-one for much of the night, but had no answer for him. Despite that, Green praised his efforts after guarding one of the NBA’s best players.

He said, “He was guarding Luka all night. And Luka finished with 43, but we didn’t have to commit two guys, you know? So you get 43, which I always tell these guys, you’re not stopping a great scorer.

“That’s just not the way this league is set up for you to stop great scorers. But you do make it tough on him, and I think all night he made it tough on him.

“It’s body on body all night, and so you live with the results, and over the course of 48 minutes, you just want to wear him down, you know, and I think JK was all over him.”

Kuminga delivering an elite performance on both ends against one of the league’s premier teams is a phenomenal sign for both the Warriors and their young star.