Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has emerged as a key rotation player for the Dubs in his second NBA season. Over his last ten games, Kuminga is averaging 11.4 points on 51.7% shooting from the field and 40% from behind the three-point arc. And in Thursday's huge win against the Clippers, Kuminga scored 19 points in 29 minutes of playing time.
A reporter asked Kuminga recently if Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard gave any advice to the young forward on Thursday, and Kuminga provided the following response, per a tweet from 95.7 The Game's Twitter account:
“He don't really talk… The first time I ever heard him talk was yesterday. I dabbed him and he was like, ‘keep working and stay healthy.'”
Kuminga, 20, is in his second year in the NBA and as a member of the storied Warriors franchise. He's averaging 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game across 52 appearances this season (11 starts).
The former G League Ignite standout is passing the ball at a much higher level in the 2022-23 campaign compared to when he was a rookie — Kuminga's current 1.8 assists average is double his rookie average of 0.9.
Kuminga commonly receives comparisons to Leonard, and it's easy to see why. Both are wings, both get after it on the defensive end of the floor, and both are dynamic scorers at the rim. That's not to say Kuminga will ever be as good as Leonard — expectations like that are simply unrealistic. But Kuminga certainly has star potential, and taking advice from a proven superstar in Leonard will only help him fulfill that potential.
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