There are multiple reasons behind the Golden State Warriors’ rise to one of the best teams in the Western Conference. While Jonathan Kuminga isn’t the most outstanding contributor to the Dubs’ early-season rise, his continuous improvement is doing wonders to the team’s campaign and his trade value.
The forward is at a critical point of his career with the San Francisco-based team after his camp and the organization failed to reach terms with his contract extension. While the front office is mulling over how his future with the Dubs would play out, Kuminga is doing his best with a team that struggles to understand how to maximize his talents.
While some WArriors fans may feel disappointed with how the young athlete is performing in his fourth NBA campaign, his most recent outing against a strong Houston team shows everyone how effective he can be if allowed to thrive on his own.
Jonathan Kuminga shines with 33 points for the Warriors against the Rockets
Golden State is slated to face the Houston Rockets in the playoffs of the Emirates Cup, so some looked at the game as a preview of how the duel between a grizzled veteran squad and a young team on the rise would play out.
With Stephen Curry and Draymond Green out for the game, not many expected the Dubs to come out on top against a Rockets team with Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green firing on all cylinders.
However, what many didn’t expect Kuminga to step up and put together the best scoring performance of his career as the Warriors edged the Rockets, 93-99.
Per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson:
Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins carried the load for the Warriors. Kuminga scored a career-high 33 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and Wiggins scored 22, giving them a combined 55 points.
A game featuring two of the NBA’s best defenses saw shooting struggles on both sides, making every point that Kuminga and Wiggins added even more valuable.
Kuminga scoring the most points he’s made in the NBA provides an encouraging outlook for his career. He’s averaging a respectable 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals a game, but these numbers aren’t compelling for the Warriors front office to offer him the kind of extension he wants.
If Kuminga becomes a more consistent performer for Golden State, he’ll eventually get the contract he always wanted.
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