When you're playing a decisive season to land the biggest contract possible, it's better to be a starter… But Jonathan Kuminga “is not the coach”, and here he is again coming off the bench to punish the opposing benches.
A compromise that works since the Warriors win, and “JK” has much more impact. Like last night, in Houston, where he scored 23 points, including six in overtime to ensure the victory for the Warriors.
“The Rockets brought energy, they brought power, and we found ourselves on our heels. Then, Jonathan Kuminga demonstrated why he is Jonathan Kuminga”. The analysis is by Draymond Green, very proud to see his young teammate (22 years old) take the game into his own hands in overtime.
In permanent aggression
“It is very important. Firstly because he can stand up to the athletic qualities of these guys” continues Draymond Green. “When you play players like that, you need someone like JK. Not only because he's going to do what he knows how to do, but also because he's capable of scoring every time we need a basket. And then there are his athletic qualities… To be able to match their physical qualities is huge.”
For Jonathan Kuminga, attacking the defense remains the best way to make it crack. “No one will stop me from going where I want to go “, he blurted. “It won't happen every time, but my goal is to make sure I can push anyone to do what I want. I'm more comfortable going to the circle, rather than putting the game down… Why just wait when I can go to the circle? That's my mentality. »
Much more mature
His style of play is perfectly complementary to that of Buddy Hield (27 points last night), and their duo has little equivalent in the league coming off the bench. A two-headed monster that allows the Warriors to punish the opposing benches, and Draymond Green is very proud of his teammate's reaction.
“I don’t want him to be satisfied with coming off the bench” concludes the interior. “He thinks he’s a superstar, and I believe he can be a superstar. As long as we believe in it, we cannot be satisfied with being on the bench, but the way in which we react is important. We can react by sulking or by doing everything possible to help the team win. That's what he does… We don't just have to talk about his game, but also his maturity, because last year he wouldn't have handled the situation as well. »
| Jonathan Kuminga | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | GOS | 70 | 17 | 51.3 | 33.6 | 68.4 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 9.3 |
| 2022-23 | GOS | 67 | 21 | 52.5 | 37.0 | 65.2 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 9.9 |
| 2023-24 | GOS | 74 | 26 | 52.9 | 32.1 | 74.6 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 16.1 |
| 2024-25 | GOS | 5 | 23 | 40.8 | 15.4 | 71.4 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 11.4 |
| Total | 216 | 22 | 52.1 | 33.6 | 70.7 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 11.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
