"Nobody’s guarding me.” Jonathan Kuminga demands ball, Warriors forward voices confidence in offensive abilities
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is ready to take his offensive game to another level, provided he is given the opportunity. And he is confident he can get the job done.
He shared that sentiment in a recent interview with The Athletic, highlighting how he has the skill set to be a handful to opposing teams on offense and just needs to get the ball more often.
The 21-year-old Congolese player said:
“I’ma keep it real with you. Me with the ball, nobody’s guarding me.”
But while he is ready to pick things up, Jonathan Kuminga recognizes that with veteran bucket-getters Steph Curry and Klay Thompson still around, he has to balance things out.
He said that it is confusing at times but he is trying to be patient and stay in his lane.
In the ongoing NBA season, Kuminga is averaging career-highs of 12.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 21.7 minutes. More importantly, he has been a key component in the rotation following the departure of some players.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr is pleased with the continued development of the third-year player, saying:
“JK’s been fantastic. I think this is the best stretch of basketball he’s ever played.”
Kuminga was selected seventh by the Warriors in the 2020 NBA draft from NBA G League Ignite.
Jonathan Kuminga developing into a steady double-figure scorer
Jonathan Kuminga is looking to have more opportunities to showcase his scoring prowess with the Golden State Warriors, which he has made a strong case for.
In their last 10 games, the former G League Ignite standout has been steadily scoring in double figures, averaging 15.3 ppg.
His best scoring game in that stretch was against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 22 where he scored 22 points to help his team to a 129-118 victory. Kuminga was efficient, going 9 of 11, including 1 of 2 from 3-point range.
Against the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Christmas Day, he tallied 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting, However, they came out short, losing 120-114.
At the rate he is going, Kuminga is steadily building his stock as an offensive player. He may have to temper things a bit now and then since Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are still around doing their thing.
Just the same, the Warriors are in a good situation, knowing they have him around to produce points whenever necessary.