Kuminga’s growth mindset shows in Warriors’ recent wins originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Before Jonathan Kuminga could get through a series of handshakes and bumps from his Warriors teammates and coaches, Draymond Green stopped him in his tracks. A hug turned into meeting foreheads and a smile radiated from the elder statesmen.
Proud and proud. Both emotions were seen and felt Saturday night as Green and Kuminga completed their personal handshake after the Warriors victory 127-121 in overtime about the Houston Rockets on the road.
Green had been fouled out with 8.1 seconds left after an egregious inbounds pass that led to a Warriors turnover with a two-point lead. His foul led to two free throws by the Rockets, which tied the game. The overtime, however, belonged to Kuminga.
“They brought energy, they brought strength, they put us on our heels,” Green told reporters after the win while discussing the Rockets’ comeback attempt. “And then Jonathan Kuminga showed why he is Jonathan Kuminga.”
The Warriors led by 18 points after the first quarter at the Toyota Center. Their lead grew to 31 points during the second quarter and reached 28 points at halftime. Kuminga was one of the main reasons.
Coming off the bench for the third consecutive game as Steph Curry recovering from sprained left ankleKuminga in 11 minutes scored 14 efficient points off the bench in the first half. He made 4 of 7 shots, made two of his three 3-point attempts and, just as important, got to the free throw line three times, where he was 4 of 6.
But in the second half, Kuminga, like the rest of the Warriors, struggled. In 10 and a half minutes he only scored three points. Kuminga missed both of his shot attempts. What he did do, however, was continue to get to the free throw line.
Kuminga was 3 of 4 from the charity stripe in the second half and was 7 of 10 overall. The rest of his Warriors teammates were 25 of 40. His 23 points were on 7 of 12 shooting, in addition to his seven free throws.
As Green rattled off names like Tari Eason, Jabari Smith and Amen Thompson to turn the Rockets around, it became clear how important Kuminga is to the Rockets. Warriors to resist victories Like Saturday night.
“He is very important. No. 1, he can match the athleticism of all those guys,” Green said. “…When you face guys like that, you need a JK, because not only can he get his way, which he can, but he showed it down the stretch where every time we needed a basket, he gave him the ball and he went and did it.” achieved, but from an athletic standpoint, he is just as athletic, if not more so.
“Matching that physique and that athleticism was huge.”
When their backs were against the wall and it seemed like all the momentum had shifted to the Rockets, Warriors coach Steve Kerr started Kuminga in overtime for Buddy Hield, who scored a team-high 27 points. The plan was to make stops with a defensive alignment. The result was that the Warriors outscored the Rockets 8-2 and Houston made 1 of 12 field goals.
Kuminga himself scored six of the Warriors’ eight points in overtime and grabbed two of their six rebounds. He never settled. The 22-year-old, possessed by an athleticism that cannot be replicated by our deepest prayers, took control by letting his natural abilities be his calling card.
A spinning breakaway from eight feet away, a layup in transition and a left-footed finish over Smith at the basket for the final two points of the night. Everything fell into place for Kuminga. The way he did it and his responses after the win should make the entire organization incredibly happy.
“No one is going to stop me where I want to go,” Kuminga said. “It’s not going to happen every time, but the mentality of getting anyone to do what I want them to do is. I feel more comfortable getting to the rim than doing different things.
“Why settle when I can get to the rim? “That’s the mentality.”
Growth mindset. It’s what Kerr and all the Warriors want from Kuminga. He didn’t play the final eight seconds of regulation, when the Warriors could have used someone to get their head down and get to the basket for two points, or a chance to make at least one free throw. Kerr, Curry and Green cheered Kuminga on when he admitted to being on the bench, letting him know how much they were going to need him to win.
Saturday night marked the third straight game in which Kuminga came off the bench, matching his three best games of the 2024-25 NBA season. Kerr said he “couldn’t be more proud” of the professionalism Kuminga has shown and the force he used when his number was called. Over the last three games, Kuminga has played his most minutes of the season, averaging 18.7 points on 51.4 percent shooting.
His six rebounds in Houston were a season-high, as was Kuminga’s plus/minus of plus-18 after being a plus-4 and a plus-8 in the Warriors’ two previous wins with him coming out of banking.
“I don’t want him to like coming off the bench,” Green said. “He thinks he’s a superstar. I think he can be a superstar. So as long as you believe, you shouldn’t agree to leave the bank, but how you respond is important. You can respond by sulking or just do what can help the team win and be great, and that’s what he’s doing.
“Not only should we talk about his game, but we should talk about his maturity, because last year he wouldn’t have handled it as well. Another year of growth and maturity, he has taken it easy and had his three best games of the season. … You have to give credit to his maturity and how he’s handling this, as well as his game. I think maturity is equally important, if not more so.”
“Last year I wouldn’t have handled it as well.”
Draymond Green praises Jonathan Kuminga’s maturity and ability to make an impact off the bench pic.twitter.com/IyrRCy8NO6
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 3, 2024
Racking up days and racking up wins will likely see a more mature Kuminga return to the starting lineup very soon. You’ll certainly have him on the court when it matters most, and you’ll certainly have him counting dollar figures next offseason.
