The impending returns of Klay Thompson and James Wiseman have been so anticipated that they’ve been stealing the hype from Jonathan Kuminga’s rookie season. But over the past two games, Kuminga has elbowed his way into important rotation minutes for Steve Kerr.
The Warriors coach offered a lofty comparison for Kuminga during Monday’s practice session, saying he sees similarities between the rookie and Toronto Raptors superstar Kawhi Leonard.
“I think that’s a good comp in terms of the size and the strength,” Kerr said, via the Warriors’ SoundCloud.
Kerr noted how Leonard started his career on a team with established vets, as he played alongside Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli for five seasons and they won the 2014 NBA title together. Kerr sees parallels with Kuminga joining a squad with Draymond Green, Steph Curry, Andre Iguodala and eventually Klay Thompson.
“He was kind of the fourth or fifth option,” Kerr said of Leonard during his rookie season. “I think he played 24 minutes a night, scored 8-10 points a night and played defense. That was the foundation for what he’s become. It’s a good comp for us.
“JK’s probably not going to play that many minutes because we’ve got a deeper team than ever. We’re in a place where we need the experience of the veterans to help us win right now. But in terms of his big-picture development, this is a great time for him to be laying the foundation and that’s what he’s doing.”
Kuminga said the organization has been making the comparison since they picked him No. 7 overall in July. Both players are listed at 6-foot-7, 225 pounds. Leonard is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time member of the NBA all-defensive team.
“I think since the first day they drafted me, he was like, ‘Your journey looks just like Kawhi’s’” Kuminga said. “I just gotta embrace that and just focus on what he’s telling me. Learn and be a sponge.”
In Friday night’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kuminga played a season-high 16 minutes while flashing his defense and dunking capabilities.
In Sunday night’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Kuminga scored nine points in a flurry while continuing to show his defensive tools and intriguing athleticism.
The 19-year-old and drew rave reviews from Draymond Green after locking up DeMar DeRozan and LaMelo Ball on consecutive games.
“I have no doubt in my mind that he can check just about anybody,” Green said Sunday. “He has the size, he has the strength, has the quickness, has the length. Everything you want in a defender, he kinda has. He’s going to be a hell of a defender. As he figures out angles, and figures out where guys like to get to and all those different things, it’ll continue to get better and better.”
“I love that he’s taking on those challenges. You’ll see some guys shy away in those moments but he’s not shying away from those challenges at all. And it’s beautiful to see.”
Kuminga told reporters during practice Monday that he’s eager to be thrown in the fire. He could be matched up against Kevin Durant when the Warriors play the Brooklyn Nets Tuesday night.
Kerr lauded Kuminga for his ability to stay out of foul trouble and said the rookie will continue to be matched up against the opposing team’s top offensive threat.
“I love it,” Kuminga said. “I feel like I’m ready to do it. It’s the biggest challenge because I’m always going to guard the best player on the other team. As a rookie, I might do a lot of mistakes but I’m going to learn from that and I’m going to keep growing.”
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With the dearth of traditional big men around the league, Kuminga is usually a candidate to defend all five positions on the court for Kerr.
“It’s a challenge switching from a guard to a big,” Kuminga said. “I was well-gifted to have this type of body, my quickness and just my lateral. I feel like it doesn’t really bother me to guard anybody on the court, from big to guard.”
Kuminga has put some strong defensive possessions on film, but most of them have showcased his ability to play one-on-one and stay in front of his man. That’s an important skill, sure, but the more subtle art of help-side defense and knowing opponent-specific strategies are an area where Kuminga will grow with time.
“He’s shown right away that he wants to do it and he wants to compete,” Iguodala said. “That’s the mentality you gotta have to be a great defender. Team defense he’s still learning. It’s a learning process, it’s going to take him some time. You gotta watch countless hours of film.”
Curry also praised Kuminga following Sunday’s game, glowing about the rookie’s defensive potential.
“Defensively, he’s shown amazing capability of being able to guard the ball and keep it in front and challenge shots and turn that into offense, where he can spread the floor, attack the rim,” Curry said, “He’s pretty good with the ball in his hands where he can make decisions, whether that’s finishing at the rim or kicking it to the open guy. He’s done a lot with his minutes.”
Kuminga said he’s learned immensely from guarding Curry in practice. Curry said the rookie can be a pest.
“He likes that challenge,” Curry said. “Even though I’ve got him some times, he’s blocked my shot a bunch of times on the perimeter because he has such a long wingspan.”
Funny considering Kuminga used to play with the Warriors on 2K before they drafted him this summer.
“I used to use the Warriors on 2K, because Klay and Steph, they never miss,” Kuminga said. “I used to really beat everybody who I played against. Now being on the same team as Steph and seeing him score 50 with my own eyes is crazy.”
There’s only so many minutes to go around with the Warriors. Now that Kuminga has ascended up the totem pole and Damion Lee (hip) is back healthy, Kerr said Juan Toscano-Anderson has lost his rotation spot.
“That’s what happens when you have 14 guys, 15 guys who are capable of being in the rotation,” Kerr said. “Literally every single guy could be in the rotation, but it’s impossible to do that.”
Kuminga is excited to play in front of friends in Brooklyn, as he played his prep ball at powerhouse program The Patrick School in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and his traveling ball in the New York area after growing up in Congo.
Kuminga said he wishes he had a chance to face off against Kyrie Irving, who also played prep ball at St. Patrick and reportedly has donated more than $1 million to the program.
“That’s one of my biggest mentors,” Kuminga said. “I would love to be on the floor as him, but I don’t know. His decision is his decision not to play. But at the end of the day, I’d love to play against him for sure.”
