Watch: Jonathan Kuminga continues impressive form, hits 'and one' tough bucket against Kings
Selected as the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga has had an interesting career. He showed tremendous upside during his rookie campaign with the Warriors, thanks to his athleticism and promising defensive prowess.
Entering his third NBA season, Kuminga looks to further improve his skill set. Recently, he showcased an impressive "and one" finish in the Warriors' preseason contest against the Sacramento Kings. The highlight clip was uploaded by NBC's "Warriors on NBCS" via X (formerly called Twitter).
Here's the video:
In the clip, the Warriors forward can be seen bringing the ball up the court, utilizing his athleticism to get a shot up in mid-air over a tough contest. The finish was impressive as he did so through contact.
This preseason, Jonathan Kuminga has excelled, posting 25.0 points (65.4% shooting, including 53.8% from the 3-point range), 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
With questions surrounding the formidability of the Golden State Warriors bench, Kuminga's recent performances should be enough to excite Warriors fans ahead of the upcoming season.
Jonathan Kuminga talks about his mindset ahead of 2023-24 season with the Golden State Warriors
Ahead of the new NBA regular season, Jonathan Kuminga talked about his approach entering his third season in the league, as per NBC Sports' Monte Poole.
"I just want to keep growing as a basketball player," Kuminga said. "Get better at reading the game. Making sure the game comes easier because the work you put in every day makes it easier. I was in the Bay as much as I could, just playing a lot. I did a lot this summer, just playing with the people that were coming in."
"Just trying to read the game," Kuminga added, "to be involved and learning the pace of the game and different things."
From Kuminga's comments, he sounds ready to take the next step with the Warriors while continuing to grow and maintain his hunger for the game. Warriors coach Steve Kerr echoed Kuminga's mindset by highlighting key points in his game that will be focused on.
"We're making a big push for him to be an offensive rebounder," Kerr said. "Defensive rebounding, too. We want him to crash, to really sprint the floor. He's been a very good on-ball defender, and we're going to push him to continue to get better off ball."
"And then keep working with him offensively on connecting players," Kerr added, "recognizing the time to set a ball screen and dive, the time to run a dribble handoff."
Considering how Jonathan Kuminga showcased his defensive potential in his first season, Kerr said that it will be one of the many assets that the Warriors will want him to improve upon. Apart from his defense, his offensive and defensive rebounding will also be worked on to further expand his prowess on the court.