Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently announced his plans to keep Jonathan Kuminga in the starting lineup after his hot start to the season.
Even following a rocky summer highlighted by brutal contract negotiations, the 23-year-old has found a solid role on a team many expected he would have already been traded from just weeks ago.
Now, with averages of 16.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 53.7% shooting while starting in each of the Warriors’ five games, Kuminga is now making a case to win one of the NBA’s top end-of-season awards. Writing for Bleacher Report, Mo Dakhil tabbed the young star as a top candidate for the Most Improved Player award after the first week of the season.
“It was a long and contentious offseason for Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors,” he wrote. “But since coming to terms on a new contract, Kuminga has exploded onto the scene for the Warriors, raising their ceiling.”
Kuminga’s numbers to begin the year haven’t seen the biggest jump compared to his statistics from last year, but through five games, it is easy to see how his role has changed. On the 4-1 Golden State team, he is third in scoring and minutes behind only Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, while leading the team in rebounds.
Kuminga’s Hot Start Is Undeniable
Kuminga has shown potential in the past, but he is contributing to this title-contending hopeful Warriors team with a greater impact than many expected before the season began. On both sides of the ball, the forward has quickly proven to thrive in a starting role, whether it be picking up scoring responsibility behind Curry and Butler, or playing alongside Draymond Green in the defensive frontcourt.
“Kuminga has made a leap on both ends of the court. In his previous seasons, he often found himself not fitting into Steve Kerr’s offense,” Dakhil wrote. “He’d become a ball stopper, trying to create a shot on his own, usually ending up with a quick hook. But that has not been the case four games into this season.”
In years past, giving the ball to Kuminga usually meant an isolation play, which slowed down the offensive rhythm. Now, early in the 2025-26 season, the young star is playing more team basketball, finding ways to help the roster succeed, rather than just himself.
“Kuminga and the Warriors have gone from an arranged marriage to basketball soulmates in the blink of an eye,” Brad Botkin wrote for CBS Sports on the 23-year-old’s hot start in Golden State. “Kuminga has never been anywhere near this efficient. He’s never rebounded like this. Passed like this. Defended like this. His sudden feel for the Warriors’ playoff-Steph’s movement system, and his place within it, is palpable.”
He’s leaped nearly every aspect of his game, and Kerr has noticed, giving high praise after the team’s recent win over the Memphis Grizzlies. While Al Horford was the notable addition over the offseason, Kerr has now committed to Kuminga in the starting lineup going forward.
Other Top Contenders For The MIP Award
As mentioned, Kuminga is averaging career-highs to begin the season, but none of his numbers are a massive leap from his production last year. But while he now holds a solidified spot in the starting lineup, those stats could continue to increase and give him an even better chance to take home the Most Improved Player award.
However, just over a week through the NBA season, there have been numerous other players who are making a case as the league’s most improved player. While he wasn’t listed on Bleacher Report’s list of the new top candidates, the quick rise of Austin Reaves is impossible to deny.
He is averaging a league-third 35.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists while leading a LeBron James and Luka Doncic-less Los Angeles Lakers team. He has already dropped a 51-point near triple-double, and if not on pace for at least a few MVP votes, Reaves is on his way to his first All-Star nod.
It would also be hard to discuss ‘improvement’ in the NBA without mentioning Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. He is putting up jaw-dropping numbers on both sides of the ball, currently top ten in scoring, top five in rebounding, with the most blocks by a long shot. Like Kuminga and Reaves, this year finally looks like the one in which Wembanyama has taken another leap forward.
Listed on ESPN Bet, Amen Thompson, Matas Buzelis, Benedict Mathurin, and Deni Avdija are other top favorites to win the Most Improved Player award. Through just the first week of the season, the NBA looks to be entering a new era, and so far, its players like Kuminga, Reaves, and Wembanyama are leading the youth charge.
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