That’s more like it.
The Warriors offense looked sluggish over the previous several games leading up to Friday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls. Considering the contest marked the second leg of a back-to-back and the Bulls entered with the Eastern Conference’s best record, it could have been a long night for the Warriors. Au contraire.
Golden State put together its highest-scoring half of the season before the break on Friday, en route to a 138-96 win. Along the way, the Warriors received huge contributions from rookie Jonathan Kuminga.
"This was his best overall game," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "He showed the whole package, in terms of his passing, his defense. Knocked down a couple threes and, obviously, just an explosive athlete. Really had a great night."
Given the veteran additions of Otto Porter Jr., Nemanja Bjelica and Andre Iguodala this season, Kuminga has been buried on the Warriors depth chart. Even though he was the No. 7 overall pick, there haven’t been huge expectations for Kuminga in his rookie season. The future looks promising, for sure, but any major 2021-22 contributions would be a bonus.
The 19-year-old showed Friday he can be an impact player in a variety of ways, beyond just his high-flying dunks.
Kuminga finished with 25 points on a crazy efficient night, when he went 10-of-12 from the floor and provided a multitude of highlights. Dunks. Defense. Dishes. Drives. Kuminga did it all on Friday night. He also added three rebounds, three assists, a steal and three blocks in 26 minutes.
Sure, he can still throw down menacing dunks that showcase his freakish athleticism.
But also showed some great defensive chops. Like this possession, where he picked up DeMar DeRozan in the backcourt, checked Nikola Vucevic in the low post and then blocked Alfonzo McKinnie’s driving layup attempt.
He also showed some great awareness on the court and made a couple of smart passes, like this one to Bjelica.
The next time down the floor, Beli returned the favor by finding a wide-open Kuminga for a corner three.
To wrap up his night, Kuminga added this huge block.
Kuminga said he was most proud of his defense and effort Friday night but also described the satisfaction he takes in being a facilitator on offense.
"I always try to be an all-around player," Kuminga said. "Always trying to involve everybody in the game. You're never going to play by yourself, you've got four other people on the floor to help you and do other things."
Kuminga may have fell a point shy of his career high in points, but that 26-point effort came in a 119-100 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 18.
"He was dominant," Warriors guard Jordan Poole said. "25 points in 25 minutes? I'm proud of him."
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Earlier this season, Steve Kerr made a lofty comparison for Kuminga to Kawhi Leonard. Kuminga is showing great patience and mental growth, as he’s not trying to force things on offense. His defensive versatility and energy are also valuable for the Warriors, who are one of the oldest teams in the league.
Kuminga has been stashed on the end of the Warriors bench for the most of the season but he might deserve more minutes than the 10 he was averaging through his first 29 games to start the campaign.
The Warriors have shuttled Kuminga between Golden State and the G League Santa Cruz Sea Dubs this season. On Monday, he played 30 minutes for Santa Cruz and scored nine points on just 3-of-12 shooting while fouling out against G League competition. Kerr acknowledged that the constant yo-yo-ing this season might be a lot for Kuminga to handle.
"I don't think there's any doubt that he can help us win," Kerr said. "But we also know that progress isn't linear as a young player. There's going to be a lot of ups and downs. ... For JK, we're trying to teach him about the process and how important every single day is. Every time we play him in Santa Cruz, every practice, every 3-on-3. It's all important."
"I would say it's a lot," Kuminga said. "It's a lot to learn, but I feel like I'm getting better. It's a good thing that I'm going back out there and getting more comfortable coming back out here. Getting the minutes that I get and help the team win."
The Warriors (31-11) are still riding with their Dynasty Days nucleus of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Iguodala this season. But one day, the franchise hopes to turn over the keys to players like Kuminga, Poole and James Wiseman.
"It's great to have options," Curry said. "It's great to have an understanding that you have some pretty young and talented guys who aren't really getting minutes right now, consistently, but have shown that they can be impactful. They have pretty high upsides.
"There's going to be learning curves and there's going to be ups and downs. Who knows what the next year, two years, three years looks like. But, I know the organization is trying to do a good job of balancing all of that."
