It took the Golden State Warriors a while, but now, Jonathan Kuminga has cemented his place in the team's starting lineup, never looking back after an infuriating stretch earlier in the season which saw the 21-year-old forward's minutes fluctuate.

Kuminga has now emerged as one of the Dubs' most dangerous scoring weapons, flashing a more all-around game that has now endeared him to head coach Steve Kerr.

Alas, beyond Kuminga's frustrations with his lack of playing time to begin the year, which even boiled over to the media, the Warriors forward also had reason to feel extra discomfort with his situation according to veteran point guard Chris Paul, who recently returned to the hardwood from a 21-game absence due to a hand injury.

“It was probably a little frustrating for him earlier in the season because he had a bunch of us vets on him all the time. But I think it's one of those things where you see all the things he's capable of and to see him putting it together at this time of the year has been really dope,” Paul said in his postgame presser following the Warriors' 111-99 win over the New York Knicks on Thursday night.

Indeed, it can be difficult for a talented youngster who hasn't cemented a huge role in the rotation of a veteran Warriors team to figure out his place. After all, Jonathan Kuminga is only 21 years old, and he has to acknowledge the feedback he's receiving from the team's leaders given their considerable experience as professional basketball players.

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But it certainly seemed like the Warriors treated Kuminga with kid gloves for longer than was necessary.

Kuminga is now in his third year in the NBA, and given the Warriors' need for young talent to help bridge between eras amid Klay Thompson's decline, the Dubs had to show faith in the guy they drafted with the seventh overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. And now, that faith has paid off immensely.

With Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody emerging as crucial weapons for the Warriors, the franchise's long-term outlook now looks more promising than ever.