7 – Jonathan Kuminga (Rookie of the Year betting odds = 34.00)
G League Ignite
Picked by – Golden State Warriors (NBA Championship betting odds = 15.00)
Age: 19
Measurements: 6’6” (198cm) 210 lbs (95.3kg)
Position: Forward
Coming in as predicted at number 7 is the youngster from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Here are our thoughts on the African’s strengths and weaknesses.
AVERAGES AND STATS
Kuminga averaged a rock-solid 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds in his 13 games for G league Ignite. He racked up 2.7 assists per game and turned the ball over 2.6 times.
While his scoring stat is decent, the percentages tell a slightly different story.
Hitting only 39% of his total field goals isn’t that great and those assists are low enough to be of some concern.
Only 63% of free throws hit might raise the odd eyebrow too.
SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTESl
Jonathan Kuminga is a powerful and aggressive player who can play as either small or power forward.
The small forward’s versatility offensively and defensively means they have to excel right across the board. Kuminga doesn’t do that just yet.
SFs need to be incredibly disruptive on the defensive end of the court and Kuminga has that in spades.
If he is to join the best small forwards, however, he must also have an improved offensive game. He needs to be able to shoot more consistently from outside and score inside. Penetrating defences and creating chances for his teammates will be key to his success in that position.
If he plays as power forward then he’s really going to have to improve that mid-range jump shot and hit those 3 pointers with more regularity.
Kuminga is a player with huge potential that needs to be focussed and honed.
With the right training and coaching, we believe he can really step up to the next level in the NBA and maybe go stratospheric.
WILL THE WARRIORS PUT UP A FIGHT?
The Golden State Warriors finished a mediocre 9th in the Western Conference last season and 14th overall.
They only really shone in terms of an 82% free-throw performance and a nice, low number of 11 turnovers per game.
That must certainly have helped eke out some wins in tight games, but does not make for a winning strategy.
Jonathan Kuminga can certainly bring some explosive power and aggression to the team but isn’t necessarily a drop-in-and-go game changer just yet.
With time and perseverance, we feel that they will be glad they chose him when the dividends start to come back. Watch this space.
Market odds for The Warriors to win the Conference are 6.50 and they are 12.00 to win the NBA overall.
