If you’ve been following the Golden State Warriors recently, you’ve probably noticed one unmistakable reality. More accurate than stating that the team is injured and suffering. Nothing is clearer than the reality that the Dubs must make a change if they are to correct their season. One fact is more true than all other truths.
Jonathan Kuminga has arrived.
These are Kuminga’s last five games: Scored 31 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and shot 12/19. Also had 25 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. On 11-for-11 shooting, he had 20 points and 11 rebounds. On 9-for-18 shooting, he had 28 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and one block. Scored 24 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal on 10/18 shooting (9-for-12).
He’s scored 127 points in just 142 minutes, and the Warriors have outscored their opponents by 13 points. Despite Kuminga’s absence from the Steph Curry-led starting lineup, the team has been outscored by three points in his 98 minutes on the bench.
Stats are great, and those stats are especially great. But what’s truly remarkable is something that cannot be easily quantified with a metric.
Kuminga now ranks as the team’s second-best player.
However, everything might change once Draymond Green regains form or Chris Paul’s injured wrist heals. However, Kuminga’s position on the Warriors’ totem pole is far less essential than what he has done to get there: emerge as a high-quality NBA player. A tremendously good NBA player.
Kuminga has risen to No. 126 in EPM’s rankings, with a rating that is well above average on both offensive and defense. That statistic emphasizes how strong he’s gotten, as it encompasses the entire season; given where he was in November and even December, it’s safe to assume his advanced metrics have improved in the last month.
And the result should be reassuring to Warriors fans who have long regarded Kuminga positively: he isn’t going anywhere.
When the season began to unravel, the possibility of selling Kuminga became a hot subject among Warriors fans. It was a rather straightforward situation: you risk losing out in the long run by giving up someone with a sky-high ceiling; in exchange, you improve now and raise your chances of winning a title in 2024 or 2025.
Kuminga flipped the script. Now, he is the player who is critical to the team’s short-term success… while also holding the keys to being a long-term solution for the Dubs. Because of this, he appears to have a permanent residence in the Bay Area.
While rumors continue to circulate about Golden State’s willingness to trade nearly anyone before the February 8 deadline, The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson — arguably the most reliable source in Warriors beat reporting — made Golden State’s stance clear on Friday, saying in the aftermath of JK’s latest star performance, “This is why the Warriors can’t trade him.” According to multiple team sources, the Warriors have no plans to do so and never have.
It’s been less than a year since speculations circulated that Kuminga would seek a trade if he didn’t get more significant playing time. It had only been three weeks since Kuminga reportedly lost faith in Steve Kerr’s ability to play and develop him effectively.
And here we are. From the outside, Kuminga and Kerr appear to have entirely healed their relationship. The Warriors perform best when he is on the court. The third-year forward is dominating on both sides of the court.
And he is impenetrable.
