The Golden State Warriors whiffed yet again on one of their major trade targets, with Lauri Markkanen signing a huge extension with the Utah Jazz and rendering himself unable to be traded this season in the process. It looks as though the Dubs are more than happy to enter the 2024-25 season with more or less the same core, but that may not be such a bad thing — especially if Jonathan Kuminga delivers on the hype he’s generating with his offseason workout videos.
Another video of an impressive Kuminga play during workouts is making the rounds on X, formerly known as Twitter. Originally posted by Dashletics, which was then reposted by the official Overtime X account, the Warriors forward showed what looked like a deeper bag of dribbling moves, going between the legs and behind the back on multiple occasions before blowing by defenders and hammering home a resounding tomahawk jam.
DAMN JONATHAN KUMINGA 😳 @JonathanKuming6 (via @dashletics) pic.twitter.com/j9dU5aLP7L
— Overtime (@overtime) August 13, 2024
It is worth mentioning that these workouts can never capture the intensity of a real NBA game. Nonetheless, the Warriors should be pleased to see Jonathan Kuminga work on his game tirelessly this offseason, as they have such high hopes for the 21-year-old forward that they held him out of trade talks for a co-star that they could have potentially brought in via trade (Lauri Markkanen, Paul George).
Kuminga improved tremendously last season, as he made the most of the starting opportunities that were afforded to him amid Draymond Green’s troubled campaign. But given how young he is, no one should be surprised if he takes another major leap to his game. Warriors fans’ hopes have been renewed after seeing Stephen Curry scorch the nets to end the 2024 Paris Olympics, so they’ll be hoping that Kuminga takes the role of second star that the Dubs franchise needs to compete in a loaded Western Conference.
Warriors fans should believe in the Jonathan Kuminga hype, but must temper expectations
One of the most promising things regarding Jonathan Kuminga is his youth. He will only be 22 years old by the time the 2024-25 season rolls along, and he’s already entering his fourth season in the NBA. For such a young player, he already has a ton of experience while learning from some of the most accomplished figures in the sport as well in Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson.
Last year, Kuminga upped his scoring average from 9.9 to 16.1 while maintaining his true shooting percentage from the prior season. He has all the makings of an efficient, volume bucket-getter — a valuable player archetype to have.
But until Jonathan Kuminga learns to play more within the Warriors’ system, then it might be tough for him to impact winning. Kuminga’s playmaking feel isn’t the best; he gets his buckets by handling the ball and creating for himself. Meanwhile, the Dubs’ system prefers to operate based on ball and player movement as they maximize the gravity Curry possesses.
High expectations from Kuminga are warranted. But he first has to show some marked improvements in his feel for the game so he could become the impact star the Warriors need.
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