SAN FRANCISCO – Draymond Green isn’t one to add syrup to his words, particularly if you’re a teammate. He brings it straight, like it or not. The Warriors not only have come to expect it but also realize it’s to their great benefit.
So, take heed when Draymond issues thorough assessments of 19-year-old rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, as he did on Thursday.
In short, Draymond believes both have star potential but acknowledges Moody is rather mature for a teenager and Kuminga has, on and off the court, more room for growth.
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“I’ve seen Kuminga’s work ethic improve,” Green said before tipoff against the Kings at Chase Center. “Not that he wasn’t a hard worker; I haven’t been around him long enough to say whether he was a hard worker or not. But what I’ve seen is him learning how to work. As he is learning how to work, his game is getting better. His understanding is getting better. And that’s important.
“And then Moses, on the other hand, is like the ‘old’ 19-year-old. Does everything right. Works his butt off. No complaints about nothing.
“The reality is both of those guys can and will be successful.”
Through the first 40 games of his career, Kuminga has been by turns electrifying and prone to commit silly errors. His vast upside is evident, but it’s obvious that getting there is going to take a while. His athleticism is off the charts, his shooting is coming along and his decision-making often is not at NBA level.
Golden State Warriors
There have, however, been instances of poor judgment or professionalism. Kuminga has been late to practices and on several cases required veteran intervention.
Moody has, by contrast, been a relative breeze.
“One probably had someone teaching him what it’s like to work hard and be a professional since he was 10 years old,” Green said, referring to Moody. “The other one (Kuminga) was probably extremely gifted, someone realized it, threw him out there on the basketball court with his gifts and that was that. Not much guidance.
“He now has that guidance. What he has shown is he believes in accepting that guidance and that he’s willing to change who he has possibly been his entire life. Because of that, he’s going to be super special. He listens.”
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There is widespread belief that Kuminga, a personal favorite of CEO Joe Lacob, will continue to adapt and develop both his skills and his professionalism.
“Every coach, performance team member and front office person and, most important, player, believes in him and does everything that can to help him,” Green said. “And he listens to everything you say. I have no doubt that he’s going to be great and that he’ll continue to grow.
“The future is bright, especially with those two. They’re going to be damn good pros and probably both probably will end up being All-Stars.”