Kurtenbach: Warriors youngster Jonathan Kuminga is poised to soar in the
NBA playoffs
Golden State Warriors: Even with the return of Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan
Kuminga should play a huge role for the Dubs in the playoffs.
>Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, center, dunks over
Portland Trail Blazers forward John Butler Jr., left, and guard Skylar
Mays during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore.,
Sunday, April 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
By DIETER KURTENBACH | dkurtenbach@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News
Group
PUBLISHED: April 14, 2023 at 8:19 a.m. | UPDATED: April 14, 2023 at 8:31
a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/04/14/kurtenbach-emerging-but-experienced-warriors-youngster-jonathan-kuminga-is-poised-to-take-over-the-2023-nba-playoffs/

The Warriors carry many advantages into this postseason, but none is
more significant — or arguably more powerful — than experience.

The Dubs’ core players — Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson
— have combined to play 433 playoff games going into Saturday’s
first-round Game 1 with the Kings in Sacramento.

They’ve raised some banners. They’ve fallen behind in series. They’ve
even lost two NBA Finals. Good and bad (but mostly good), they’ve seen
some stuff over the last decade.

“I feel a totally different energy now that the regular season is over,”
Green said Thursday. “The focus level in the playoffs is totally
different. The preparation is totally different.

“You lean into the know-how. You know what to do.”

And while the Warriors come into this postseason as the No. 6 seed in
the Western Conference — it’s the first time the Dubs have finished
lower than the No. 3 seed since Steve Kerr took over the team in 2014-15
— in some ways, this team is better equipped for this season’s playoffs
than last year’s.

Curry, Thompson, Green, and Kevon Looney didn’t need any more
experience, but the value of last year’s title run cannot be quantified
for Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, and the Warriors’ young players.

They have now seen some stuff too, and when the stakes are highest — and
they might be that way right out of the gate — they stand a better
chance of acquitting themselves well.

For a player like Jonathan Kuminga, the experience of winning a title
last season, paired with his development this past regular season, could
make him the breakout star of this postseason.

>Golden State Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga (00) gets high-fives from
Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) after a play against Boston
Celtics' Marcus Smart (36) in the fourth quarter of their NBA game at
Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022. (Ray
Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

The Warriors will be leaning on Kuminga in these upcoming playoffs.
Injuries and absences might have thrust him into more minutes after the
All-Star break, but he validated those minutes with outstanding defense
and sharp offensive play.

Now that the Warriors are at something close to full health, don’t
expect Kuminga’s role to be diminished.

Particularly against the Kings, Kuminga’s athleticism and defensive
versatility could prove critical to winning the series. Sacramento plays
fast and puts five players on the perimeter on nearly every possession.
The Warriors’ one true center, Looney, could have trouble matching up
with Kings center Domantas Sabonis, who can score and distribute at all
three levels.

And while the Warriors would ideally have Green shadowing Sabonis,
they’ll need a backup plan, too. In the last few months, Kuminga has
become that backup plan. An excellent one, at that.

“His on-ball defense has really taken a leap. He’s really a guy we lean
on to guard the bigger wings in the league — the tougher matchups,” Kerr
said.

Sabonis, a rare kind of big man, would certainly fall into that camp. If
the Warriors advance, Jaren Jackson Jr., Anthony Davis, or even LeBron
James, would qualify as similar matchups.

Looking further down the road, the Warriors could face Kevin Durant and
perhaps Giannis Antetokounmpo.

There are few — if any players — in the NBA that can guard those stars.
They’re too big. Too skilled.

Wiggins stands a chance, though he’s more of a perimeter player. Green
can do it, but he uses his smarts to do the job. Kuminga is one of the
few players with the size and top-end athleticism to match up with the
NBA’s best.

And his smarts are catching up to his physical abilities.

>Golden State Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga elevates for afourth quarter
dunk against the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center in San Francisco,
Calif., Friday, March 31, 2023. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

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“He’s just started to understand the nuances of guarding the best
players, understanding their tricks,” Kerr said of Kuminga. “His rookie
year, you knew he was going to get called for a foul because he would
just be slightly out of position, and his opponent would take advantage
of that. Now he understands what’s happening before his opponent can
draw that foul.”

Kuminga is also playing at the speed of the Warriors’ game on offense.
Since he saw his playing time increase after the All-Star Game
(coinciding with Andrew Wiggins’ absence), Kuminga has averaged 13
points per game in 24 minutes per contest. Critically, he’s shooting 44
percent from beyond the arc on 2.5 3-point attempts per game.

Teams are leaving him open on the perimeter, and he’s making them pay.
And not just with the 3-point shot. He also can put the ball on the
floor and keep the Warriors’ offense moving or simply take off from
anywhere inside the free-throw line for a thunderous slam.

Kuminga’s power dunks are not just for show. Basketball is a game of
momentum, and nothing swings momentum the Warriors’ way quite like a
big, in-your-face Kuminga dunk.

In the playoffs, where every possession matters, those dunks can swing
games. We saw Wiggins turn two with big dunks in last year’s title run.

And while Curry was the star of the show last postseason, Wiggins was a
close second.

This season, at only 20 years old, Kuminga could join that group.

He knows what it takes to win in the playoffs. No one can match his
physical gifts — not even Wiggins. And he found his game in the weeks
heading into the postseason.

“A lot of ups and downs, but the improvement has been consistent, and
that’s the main thing,” Kerr said. “I think he’ll be dramatically better
a couple of years from now. But where he is now is somebody who can help
us win. He’s an important part of our team.”

--
Dieter Kurtenbach | Sports Columnist
Sports columnist Dieter Kurtenbach analyzes the amazing and roasts the
absurd in the world of sports for the Bay Area News Group. He was
previously a national sports columnist for Fox Sports and a staff writer
at the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can also be heard on KNBR
(104.5-FM, 680-AM). He graduated from the University of Missouri in
Columbia, Mo., with a BA degree in journalism.