San Francisco, CA ā€“ In the 2021 NBA draft, the Golden State Warriors possessed two lottery picks. The Warriors selected Jonathan Kuminga with their 7th pick and Moses Moody at 14th. Friday afternoon, joined with General Manager Bob Myers, the two rookies addressed the local media for the very first time.

The 6'8 rookie Kuminga took an unconventional route to the NBA, and I'm not just talking about being from another country. He skipped college and played last season on the new G-league Ignite team alongside Houston Rockets' number two pick Jalen Green who bypassed college as well. He had a strong season averaging 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. But the Warriors rookie doesn't seem satisfied and appears eager for more.

ā€œI'm really most excited about just playing,ā€ Kuminga told ClutchPoints. ā€œIf you count all the days and months, it's almost two years since I've played organized basketball. When I went to the bubble, that was the last time I played, and it was only 13 games,ā€ Kuminga said.

The Warriors lottery pick began playing organized basketball in the United States as a freshman while learning how to speak English simultaneously. His high school career was cut short with transfer restrictions and an ankle injury. After that, Covid-19 hit and put the entire world on pause.

With the NBA summer league approaching, Kuminga gets another opportunity to work on his craft professionally. His performance could determine how much playing time he will see in the regular season as the Warriors coaching staff monitor each game. What sounds like a ton of pressure to ordinary people. The 18-year-old rookie from Congo seems poised and prepared for the challenge.

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ā€œSo this whole time, I've been working. If you are healthy and not playing anywhere, a lot of people are going to ease up. I have just been pushing it because I know great things are ahead of me. So I'm really looking forward to playing in the summer league,ā€ Kuminga declared.

The rookie forward landed in a favorable situation with the Warriors. Having Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson as vets could give a level of assurance that might carry Kuminga a long way. Early production from a draftee with plenty of ability could help land the Dubs back in the NBA Finals.