The Golden State Warriors got off to a strong start to the season, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 119-109 in the opening game.
There was a lot of buzz this offseason after the Golden State Warriors held contract negotiations with Jonathan Kuminga over the summer. But Kuminga and the Warriors ultimately agreed to a deal, and the Warriors looked like a cohesive team to start the season.
Kuminga requested a bigger role with the Warriors after feeling glued to the bench late last year. So Steve Kerr trusted the young star, who played 33 minutes, the second-most on the team.
The 23-year-old responded with 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists while using Luka Doncic at defensive end. He went 5-for-5 in the third quarter and scored 13 points, allowing the Warriors to build a double-digit lead.
Draymond Green, who wanted Kuminga to remain a Warrior this summer, praised his teammate’s key plays and believes they proved his potential as a superstar.
With a minute left in the game and the Warriors leading by seven points, Kuminga’s hustle offensive play nearly sealed the victory. Jimmy Butler’s 3-pointer hit the back iron, but Kuminga got the better of Deandre Ayton and secured the offensive rebound.
That led to Stephen Curry making three shots past Gabe Vincent from the parking lot to give Golden State a 10-point lead with 50 seconds left.
After the game, Green said Kuminga’s rebounding was what everyone had been waiting for him to do. “His performance was great. That rebound was what everyone was waiting for. You have that athleticism, you have superstar potential, you have to make big plays. He has to make big plays. He had a great performance.”
“That was a game-winning play…We can all ask for an opportunity. When you get an opportunity, you have to take it. He was very vocal about his opportunity and he made it happen.”
“So when you see a guy who sticks his neck out and speaks up and gets results, you have to reward them too, because if they don’t, you’re going to crush them. That’s right. If you speak up and don’t get results, you’re going to be crushed.”
Kuminga proved right in drawing the line in the sand this summer and demanding more playing time in the season opener. If he continues this way, he could become a key piece on the Warriors’ aging roster.
Green went on to say that Kuminga’s success came from his perseverance and making the game his own. “He was very patient on the offensive end. We didn’t have a lot of success offensively early on, but he just continued to persevere. And because he continued to be patient, the game turned in his direction.”
“It was about rebounding, but the big picture we’ve seen since the day he showed up to camp, his ability to play, run, rebound, pass…he was great tonight, and I want everyone to know that.”
Doncic was incredible in his first Opening Day as a Laker. The Slovenian superstar finished with 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists despite shooting just 2-of-10 from three in the game.
Doncic’s physical changes this summer made him seemingly unguardable and showed exactly why he is one of the preseason MVP favorites, even though the Lakers lost.
Kuminga spent most of the night going one-on-one with Doncic, but got no response. Nevertheless, Green praised his effort after guarding one of the NBA’s best players.
“He guarded Luka all night, and Luka finished with 43 points, but we didn’t have to commit two guys, right? So, you score 43 points. I always tell them, you’re not stopping a great scorer,” he said.
“This league isn’t set up to stop great scorers. But you’re tough on him, and I think he was tough on him all night.”
“It was a physical fight all night, so I just wanted to live with the result and tire him out for 48 minutes. I think JK was crazy about him.”
Kuminga’s elite performance on both ends against one of the best teams in the league is a tremendous sign for both the Warriors and their young star.