Owner Joe Lacob and general manager Bob Myers definitely aren't the only ones who have high hopes for the Golden State Warriors' next generation.
Before the Warriors' Las Vegas Summer League game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, promising sophomore forward Jonathan Kuminga was asked what it's like to be on the court with third-year big man James Wiseman. Though they only just played their first game together last week in Sin City, Kuminga is already dreaming of a decade-plus partnership with Wiseman—one that would no doubt mean the extension of Golden State's dynasty.
“Playing with Wiseman felt good,” he said. “Hopefully we play like that together for the next 10-15 years. Just building our chemistry at a young age means a lot.”
— follow @dubs408 (@somedubvids) July 15, 2022
Kuminga and Wiseman were both on Golden State's roster last season, but the latter's nagging knee injury sidelined him for the duration of 2021-22, preventing the Warriors' trio of young prospects—along with second-year wing Moses Moody—from ever taking the floor at the same time. Kuminga and Moody were lottery picks in the 2022 draft, while Golden State chose Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick a year earlier, ahead of eventual Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball.
Kuminga and Wiseman aren't even guaranteed rotation minutes in 2022-23, let alone assured of leading the Warriors deep into the 2030s. But their combined pre-draft pedigrees, Moody's included, are more impressive than that of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green's, the veteran triumvirate that just led Golden State to its fourth title in eight seasons.
Though it's naive to expect them to reach that all-time peak, Moody, Kuminga and Wiseman—with rising star guard Jordan Poole—nevertheless comprise one of the league's most talented young cores.
Lacob has always wanted to build another timeline toward lasting contention as the Warriors' Big Three fade from their primes. It's one of the main reasons why Golden State is highly unlikely to mortgage its future by bringing Kevin Durant back to The Bay.
Kuminga and Wiseman, in particular, still have a long way to go to reach their potential, but at least have shown flashes of it in Las Vegas, allowing Dub Nation—and themselves—to dream of what's possible when it's their turn to take on primary roles with Golden State.
[h/t @somedubvids]
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