The Golden State Warriors path to a repeat NBA championship is paved with a combination of continued high-caliber play from their veteran stars, and bigger contributions from their young talent. Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman are expected to be key pieces in the Warriors pursuit of back-to-back titles after the team lost a slew of role players in free agency. 

 

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga has widely been considered the best two-way talent with the highest ceiling of Golden State’s young core. The 6-foot-8, 210 pound forward averaged 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 70 games as a rookie, scoring 20 points or more on five occasions. Draymond Green said during a media availability in May that he believes Kuminga has the potential to be a “perennial all-star.”

 

However, longtime ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith said on First Take on Tuesday morning that he’s hearing concerning reports about Kuminga’s behavior. Smith said the 19-year-old is “shortchanging” the Warriors due to a bad attitude.

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“I'm worried about Kuminga. I'm hearing too many things about him off the court in terms of his head. The level of discipline he lacks. You understand? Some of the foolishness,” said Smith.

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"I'm not getting in his personal business. I'm not saying nothing like that. I'm talking attitude, I'm not talking actions. I'm saying that attitude, the level of focus, commitment, determination, just putting your head down, doing the work. I’m hearing he’s shortchanging the Warriors in that regard, and he gotta get his act together, because I’m a Jonathan Kuminga fan.”

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Smith’s doubts about Kuminga only compound questions raised by a poor summer league debut and comments made by his teammates during the season.

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Warriors veterans describe rough start for Kuminga

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In early February, Green told the media during a pregame press conference that early in the season Kuminga had been late to practice several times, leading the team’s veterans to step in. He also described Kuminga’s work rate in stark contrast to that of Moody, a fellow rookie.   

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“I’ve seen Kuminga’s work ethic improve. Not that he wasn’t a hard worker; I haven’t been around him long enough to say whether he was a hard worker or not. But what I’ve seen is him learning how to work. As he is learning how to work, his game is getting better. His understanding is getting better. And that’s important,” said Green.

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“And then Moses, on the other hand, is like the ‘old’ 19-year-old. Does everything right. Works his butt off. No complaints about nothing.”

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During a Feb. 26 media availability, Kevon Looney indicated that Kuminga wasn’t always eager to learn.

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“He’s a good listener. He takes in what we tell him,” said Looney. “At first, it seemed like he might have been a little stubborn about it. But he’s really been listening.”

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Players and coaches have echoed that Kuminga matured throughout the season, however, his performance in his 2022 summer league debut had Green chirping again.

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Kuminga totaled just four points, three assists, and two rebounds while committing five turnovers in 24 minutes. Green was on hand at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas to watch that game, later laying into Kuminga on “The Draymond Green Show.”

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“I’m going to say this publicly because I said it to his face,” Green said on his podcast. “I thought Jonathan Kuminga was so, so, so bad in the game that I went to when they were playing the New York Knicks. I thought he was very, very bad. He didn’t look engaged.”

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Why there's still hope 

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The second-year forward responded to his awful debut by dropping 28 points, seven rebounds and four assists in Golden State’s next Summer League game. Kuminga scored a game-high 29 points just two days after that.

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Green praised Kuminga’s ability to bounce back and dominate. A common thread amongst feedback from coaches and teammates is that Kuminga is trending in the right direction, and continually learning.

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In drafting a 19-year-old who didn’t play in college, the Warriors knew they were getting a work-in-progress, both on and off the court. The front office, coaches and players have reiterated throughout his tenure that they have full belief that Kuminga will grow into his potential. It just takes time.