Jonathan Kuminga is widely regarded as one of the NBA’s most promising young players following his breakout 2023-24 season.
But is the buzz overstated?
Dan Favale of Bleacher Report has issued his rating of the league’s “most overrated” players, with Kuminga at the top.
1. Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors.
In a nutshell, we still need more at both ends of the floor, and for a longer period of time.
“I’m just at the point where I think he might be one of the most overrated players in the NBA,” Dan Favale stated on Bleacher Report’s “Hardwood Knocks” podcast. “And I do not mean this as an offense. But we talk about him as if he has a non-star worth similar to Mikal Bridges’. I saw the vision with him. But, just now, I don’t trust the jumper. I’m not confident in his ability to manufacture his own shot unless he’s in space. And the defense is inconsistent.
“Part of it is, it’s a glamor franchise, he’s the best version of a hot prospect that they have, and so, everybody is aware of him,” Grant Hughes told me. “The highlights are also effective. We admire A-plus athleticism. And so it’s more difficult to be realistic about how he doesn’t always show up in the appropriate positions on defense. He doesn’t recover. So, I don’t think it’s a big deal to suggest he’s a little overrated. At the same time, I believe his potential is still really great.”
“To what end Golden State’s responsible for Kuminga’s enduring limitations is debatable,” Favale pointed out. “He did not play a steady role until last season. And make no mistake: the per-minute production jumps off the page.
“But the concept that he’s a cornerstone player, both inside and outside the Warriors organization, is odd. Maybe he’ll get there someday. I hope he does. He isn’t there yet, though.”
The four players ranked behind Kuminga are Houston’s Jalen Green (No. 2), Charlotte’s Miles Bridges (No. 3), Denver’s Jamal Murray (No. 4), and Orlando’s Jonathan Isaac (No. 5).
After being selected with the seventh choice in the 2021 NBA Draft at the age of 18, Kuminga failed to establish a defined and consistent role in coach Steve Kerr’s rotations for the first two seasons before breaking out last season.
During the 2023-24 season, Kuminga averaged career highs in points (16.1), rebounds (4.8), and assists (2.2) per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from three.
The 21-year-old established himself as a steady second-leading scorer behind superstar guard Steph Curry while demonstrating the explosiveness that drew Golden State to him three years ago.
However, as Bleacher Report notes, Kuminga has potential to develop defensively, and Kerr has often expressed his desire for Kuminga to improve as a shooter and playmaker.
