Jonathan Kuminga did not exactly put forward any eye-popping performances during the Summer League. This could probably have a lot to do with the fact that the Golden State Warriors asked the incoming second-year wing to try out a few things that he wasn’t very accustomed to.

This included ball-handling duties, which clearly isn’t one of Kuminga’s strong suits. However, according to C.J. Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Warriors intentionally took the 19-year-old out of his comfort zone to try and work on his versatility. As it turns out, Golden State has very high hopes for this young man in his second season:

Year 2 for Kuminga will be all about continuing to flesh out his complete offensive skill set, rather than relying solely on his athletic ability. That, and improving on defense, will be key for him to stay on the court for extended minutes.

Golden State knows that Kuminga has all the tools to become one of its best perimeter defenders. In terms of offensive versatility, if he can steal minutes at the ‘5’ in small-ball lineups, it will be a huge help and allow the Warriors to unlock certain matchup advantages in the same way Gary Payton II did last season.

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That’s quite interesting. At just 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds, Kuminga isn’t exactly big-man material in the league. Then again, Draymond Green is just 6-foot-6, and we all know how much success the Warriors have found with Green playing center in small-ball lineups.

Defense still appears to be Kuminga’s strong suit. If he is able to elevate his game in this respect this coming season, then we could be looking at another key piece of the Warriors’ core for the years to come. At this point, it could be time to get all excited about Jonathan Kuminga.