SAN FRANCISCO – Blasting downcourt at breakneck speed. A backpedaling defense in front of him. The rim drawing close. Those defenders creeping closer.
Jonathan Kuminga, who recently signed his new $46.5 million contract, had been in that situation innumerable times.
The crowd at Chase Center had seen the same result innumerable times: A wild shot in traffic, or worse, a turnover to go along with an exasperated look from coach Steve Kerr on the sideline. More frustration.
But with this familiar spectacle unfolding early in the third quarter of the Warriors’ 111-103 victory over the shorthanded Lakers, Kuminga tried something new.
He made the right play and threw a timely bounce pass to a cutting Buddy Hield for two points.
A minute later, Kuminga dribbled the ball upcourt as the point guard … and lasered another ball to Hield for two more points.
After a summer of discussions – influenced by himself, his agent Aaron Turner, the Warriors and outside entities – about his role as a scorer, Kuminga provided evidence that, on this Warriors team, his talents are best utilized in other ways.
“JK played well, and made a couple of great passes in transition,” Kerr said. “I really liked some of those plays JK made during that stretch.”
Kuminga played 14:44 minutes, scoring six points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out four assists while blocking a shot.
His first stint – which came after an ovation from the Chase Center crowd and a long wait at the scorer’s table – saw him play with Pat Spencer, Gary Payton II, Buddy Hield and Al Horford.
His first possession resulted in him planted on the right mid-block, back to the basket and looking to score.
But when the Lakers sent the double-team, he took a page out of Horford and Green’s book, spraying the ball to Payton at the top of the arc for a 3-pointer.
Thirty seconds afterward, he got the ball on the block again. But instead of taking his sweet time on a setup move, Kuminga blew past his defender with one decisive drive that resulted in free throws.
He missed both foul shots, and of course, his night was not perfect.
Despite grabbing a half dozen boards (after averaging under five rebounds per game last season), Kuminga missed a number of box outs.
His defense, like the rest of the team, suffered lapses. Some of his passes were a touch late.
But compared to the relentless gunner that the Warriors last saw in a postseason loss to Minnesota, those mistakes were signs of progress.
With him back in tow, the Warriors veterans hardly acknowledged the contentious contract dispute that dominated summer headlines.
“When he showed up on Thursday, it was business as usual,” Steph Curry said. “Just come in and play, give effort, and continue to try and get better. I’m not going to over-analyze every minute he’s out there.”
Of course, Kuminga averaged 15.3 points per game last season, and remains a talented scorer.
Throughout, the Warriors made a concerted effort to get the ball to Kuminga’s preferred spot on the low block.
As encouraging as his playmaking and rebounding progress was, the Warriors will need the fifth-year forward to score the ball.
He used his athleticism to score a twisting layup over 7-footer Deandre Ayton early in the second quarter, attacking off a closeout.
In the third quarter, Kuminga loaded up and made an uncontested 3-pointer that ended up buried in the net.
If Kuminga can balance his scoring tendencies with a newfound appreciation for the less-glamorous parts of the game, he could be in line for a long-awaited breakout.
