Jonathan Kuminga made his debut for the Democratic Republic of Congo Friday, playing against Cameroon for a World Cup Qualifier matchup in Tunisia.
The Warriors’ second-year forward dropped 18 points with six rebounds, one assist and one block in 29 minutes, but went 0-for-7 from 3-point range and 4-of-15 from the floor. He finished with a minus-3 in Congo’s 71-69 loss, as the two teams are part of a 12-team African field vying for five spots in the 2023 World Cup, which will be hosted in Asia.
The 19-year-old showed off his athleticism throughout the game despite the down shooting numbers. Check out the full highlights below:
The Warriors would probably like to see Kuminga dominate a game of this level, as he was the only NBA player on the floor. International ball is a whole different beast, so it’s hard to glean much from the box score and highlights, but Kuminga showed some nice flashes Friday.
I was only able to watch these highlights, so I didn’t see how his missed shots occurred, but he had a couple of nice dunks and finishes. His weakside help that led to a block was also encouraging. Kuminga also showed off some great passing on his lone assist, when he collapsed the defense with a drive and rifled a pass to an open man for a corner 3-pointer.
There’s no doubting Kuminga’s ceiling in the NBA, as he sprinkled in some stretches of awe and even dominance during his rookie year after being selected at No. 7 overall. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith stoked the rumors earlier this week when he claimed that there are questions swirling about Kuminga’s work ethic and whether it matches his immense talent.
The spotlight is brighter when you play for the Dubs, even if you're a second-year player who was largely shut out of the playoff rotation last year. Best-case scenario, Kuminga will be an uber-athletic two-way player, as Warriors coach Steve Kerr hasn’t shied away from Kawhi Leonard comparisons. The Warriors are stacked with veterans again in 2022, but Kuminga is expected to take a leap in Year 2.
Congo will return to the floor Sunday for a matchup against Angola.
