Jonathan Kuminga knows his situation with the Warriors isn't typical for a high lottery draft pick.
But for a 19-year-old, Kuminga has shown incredible maturity in understanding his role in Golden State and is giving the Warriors something they need as they hit the home stretch: A downhill attacker who can put relentless pressure on a defense at the rim.
"I'm going to keep it real," Kuminga said Thursday night after the Warriors' 132-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. "I don't think the team really needs me to shoot. We got at least seven shooters, and three of them are the best shooters in the league. I don't need to be out there chasing threes, and I know I can get to the free-throw line easy. ... We have the greatest shooters. I don't need to be shooting."
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Kuminga's ability to get to the line was on full display Thursday night at Moda Center. The rookie wing drew eight fouls and went 10-for-12 at the line while scoring 17 points in 27 minutes of action.
The Warriors, for all their shooting prowess, haven't been effective at getting to the free-throw line this season. They exited the All-Star break ranked 20th out of 30 teams in free-throw rate.
Golden State's playoff fate largely will be predicated on the shooting of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins. But when the shots aren't falling, or the offense gets stagnant, having an explosive athlete who can get to the rim and the free-throw line gives Golden State another weapon in the arsenal.
"Jon is one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen at his age,” Thompson said Thursday night. “What is he? 20? Seems like he has close to a 40-inch vertical and is incredibly strong, and you saw that tonight. I mean, that drop-step dunk he had, that was special. Like you said, his ability to get to the free-throw line. Playing the minutes he’s playing as a rookie, it’s awesome.
Golden State Warriors
"It gets us good looks," Thompson continued talking about Kuminga's ability to get to the rim. "When our offense might be bogged down, Jon does a great job of opening the floor because he is so good at the rim, and he's got a great future."
Over the past month, Kuminga has seized a consistent spot in the rotation. In nine February games, Kuminga has averaged 15.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 58.8 percent from the field, 33.3 from beyond the arc, and 73.2 percent from the line while averaging 4.5 attempts per game.
“One of the reasons Bob (Myers) drafted (Kuminga) was because of that athleticism and that power,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s something we haven’t really had a lot of on our roster. ... It’s added a different dimension to our team."
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It has been clear for a while that Kuminga will play a major factor in the Warriors' title chase this spring.
With only 48 NBA games under his belt, Kuminga has firmly grasped the role Golden State wants him to play and is giving the Warriors an infusion of athleticism, power, and aggressiveness that previous iterations haven't had.
For Kuminga, the instructions have been simple: Use your gifts, put the pedal to the floor, and always attack.
Kuminga received the message, and is thriving in the perfect supporting part for what the Warriors hope is a championship movie.