Jonathan Kuminga Just Needed a Change of Scenery

‘There Needs To Be A Demand’

The Warriors and the internet put the disconnect between Kerr and Kuminga on display for all to see. Between Dec. 7 and Jan. 22, Kuminga played just three games and was a DNP-CD for most of that stretch. During that time, his frustration over his lack of playing time boiled over, and he demanded a trade out of Golden State. Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. was blunt about the situation.

“When you make a demand, there needs to be a demand,” he said.

There weren’t many suitors for Kuminga at the deadline. His value was at an all-time low, and the Warriors knew it. 

‘Thank You, Warriors’

Jonathan Kuminga suffered a bone bruise injury and missed the previous 11 games he could have played before making his debut for Atlanta. During a Feb. 24 contest against the Washington Wizards, Hawks fans finally got their first look at Kuminga — and he did not disappoint.

He went off for 27 points on 89.5% true shooting. He showcased his athletic ability, added good decision-making and flashed the three-point shot as well. Detractors would call it a one-off, but Kuminga followed it up with two more good performances.

As of March 6, he has played three games with Atlanta and has been outstanding in each of them. Kuminga has averaged 21.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 78.7% true shooting. He’s shot 67.7% from the field, 55.6% from three and 77.3% from the free-throw line. 

It did not take Atlanta very long to fall in love with Kuminga’s play. After a poster dunk on Portland Trail Blazers Center Yang Hansen, Hall of Famer and Hawks color commentator Dominique Wilkins did not mince words when talking about the Kuminga acquisition.

 “Thank you, Warriors…how do you give up on a guy this young with that ability?” he said.

Hawks fans also chimed in to thank Golden State for giving up on Kuminga despite being just 23 years old.

Jonathan Kuminga Is a Familiar Face

When the Warriors drafted Kuminga in 2021, current Hawks General Manager Onsi Saleh was a part of Golden State’s organization as the basketball strategy/assistant team counsel. The familiarity with Kuminga made it easy to see the fit in Atlanta for Saleh. The Hawks GM discussed the fit when talking about acquiring him:

“(Jonathan Kuminga) has some abilities that we don’t have on the court…him attacking the rim, him rebounding and playing in transition. He does have things that we looked at that made sense for us,” he said.

So far, so good for the Hawks forward, who has made a great first impression with the team. The only downside so far is the small sample of minutes Kuminga has played with Jalen Johnson; the two have only logged eight minutes together so far.

In Kuminga’s debut versus Washington, Johnson suffered a hip injury and was limited to just six minutes. He missed the following game when Atlanta rematched with the Wizards two nights later. Against Portland on March 1, Johnson picked up two early fouls in the first quarter as Kuminga was set to check in off the bench.

The Hawks have to be impressed by what they have seen so far. As Kuminga gets integrated with the system and his teammates, he should play an even bigger role with the team.