The Golden State Warriors’ season took another turn for the worse Monday night, falling to the injury-plagued New York Knicks in a 119-112 loss at Chase Center.
Jonathan Kuminga once again demonstrated his scoring ability with an efficient 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting, but the third-year forward was benched for the final five minutes as Steve Kerr looked for a way back in the match.
The 21-year-old has used his elite athleticism to become the Warriors’ second-leading scorer in recent months, with Kuminga becoming one of the league’s most dominant forces when it comes to attacking the edge.
However, the former seventh overall pick has failed to consistently utilize that athleticism in other areas of his game. Most notably his rebounding, an aspect that is beginning to haunt his otherwise growing stature.
Kuminga had a total rebound in nearly 26 minutes of play against the Knicks. This is completely inexcusable for a starting forward, but it’s also a trend the rising star needs to quickly address.
Kuminga’s last five games consist of three, five, four, two and one rebound, making a total of 15 rebounds in over 150 minutes of play. Although they are an elite rebounding team this season, Golden State still needs a much bigger presence from its young forward.
It’s not like he can’t do it, as Kuminga has four games with 10+ rebounds this season. His solo tip Monday was impressive against Draymond Green and two Knicks players, proving it’s a mental problem rather than a physical one.
Kuminga showed his mettle by scoring 20 points, but in a league as talented as it is today, that alone doesn’t make a star player. His athleticism is at the absolute highest level, and not using it for anything other than scoring is nothing short of a waste.
If nothing else, Monday’s game showed that Kuminga still has a long way to go and a lot to improve. That in itself is exciting, with Kuminga capable of becoming a high-level rebounder and much more consistent defender than he currently produces.
