I believe JK is a classic case of he wants to be one thing and the Warriors want him to be something else. Young guy, very physically talented. Probably dominated play when he was 16,17. Dreams of being Kobe. It is tough to be self aware when you are young, talented and think you are better than you are. I think he is trying to do what the coaches want but it is an internal struggle if deep down you really see yourself differently. Who knows what he has been told by his friends and low level coaches since he was 15?
I think he has an internal struggle that is very understandable.
I have no idea how he is going to turn out, but he has been gifted some great mentors.
It all comes down to him and what he believes and if he is a guy who can really become a good shooter or not.
To be a potential all star he will have to become a legit shooter, and everything will flow from there.
Think about what it must be like for him to have that conflict of playing with Steph and Klay and probably always being conflicted about should I shoot it or not.
A lot of young talented guys want to score 30 a game and defense and rebounding is not their NBA Dream and focus.
I think he is trying and I have no idea how it all ends.
Do you think the rockets play their guys this game and try to win? If not, Denver and Minn are in (Utah needs to lose), so it's just about who wins our game
Even though technically it's still the regular season, this will be the first opportunity for playoff jimmy to make an appearance. I hope he shows up so they can get a good week's rest.
Semi-OT: during the Portland game, I kept waiting to hear one of the announcers mention that Rayan Rupert's sister Iliana is on the Valkyrie's roster after being picked from Atlanta in the expansion draft, but maybe I missed it.
Oddly enough, the official WNBA roster page https://valkyries.wnba.com/roster doesn't mention her, but all other sources seem to agree that she plays for the team.
Wow, what a great breakdown. I like you breaking down both offense and defense for a player. Usually your focus is on a type of play -- say, a split cut -- and maybe the player it features, and I've learned a ton from those and like them.
But I also like that this one is about a player, not a play. Watching during the game I sometimes want to follow a particular player for a while to see their overall game, but I am naturally also watching the rest of the game in real time and can't track like this. Highlight replays don't break down what was going on like this does. For example, just noting that there were those three called plays is interesting. It implies that coaching wanted to test or practice Kuminga's role.
I think your general conclusion is spot on: Kuminga may turn out to be much better than he is now, or not much better, and no one really knows yet. And I also agree that it's one of the arguments that is most hotly contested among Warrior fans.
I am not nearly as certain how this will all turn out as readers of my posts over time may think. I am of course, as my avatar shows, a fan of Kuminga's play. But I am not ready to bet on his future superstardom at all. I'd love to see it, but I'll keep my betting money in my pocket, despite the NBA airing nonstop betting ads.
Many times, what has motivated me to post about Kuminga is a sense that fans are posting too purely negative evaluations too often. I have resigned as Kuminga's PR Guy, but while toiling away as such, there was most games more than one opportunity for me to leap (no doubt excessively and obnoxiously) to defend his play.
That's why I like this breakdown so much: it says: here's what's going on, good bad, and ugly. That of course could be done every game. It could also be done for any player. Even Saint Stephen makes mistakes and misses. (I hope I'm still allowed on the site after saying that.) But I think there's no player for whom we more need a deep dive than Kuminga and no better time for it than on the cusp of the playoffs. I WOULD bet that coaching staff has done all such thinking and much more and I hope that it pays off.
Thanks for the great breakdown, Professor Apricot.
JK is being held criticized a little to harshly by some of us Dubs fans. I am really hoping he finds his stride and play like before he got injured. We will need that level of play from him if we ever make the playoffs.
Excited for the game vs the Clippers. I may not be able to watch but I will lock in.
I have so much to learn from EA. I really struggled with balancing the views of the formalists and contextual historicists while seeking deeper understanding of Warriors’ celebrations. Would Marxist or Structuralist approaches perhaps give me the meaning I so desperately crave? But digging deep into my art historical education, I realized there was only one complete answer.
Of course it has to be Reader Response Theory. This branch of literary criticism emphasizes the viewer’s/reader's role in constructing meaning from a text or work of art. It argues that meaning isn't inherent in the work itself, but rather emerges through the viewer’s interaction and interpretation, influenced by their experiences, beliefs, and cultural context. Not only does each Warrior celebrant create their own contextual moment, but EA supersedes their collective responses with a meta-celebration summation that simultaneously aggregates his ontological presence as a viewer and recorder with the contextual meanings that we DNHQ readers create to foster our own multiversal understanding of Warrior motion poetry.
I like JK in isolation, but I just don't see a guy that is ever going to be a max contract player. A defensive specialist like GPII who can shoot the occasional corner 3 got a 3 years, 27m. Payton is every bit as athletic as JK however he lacks the size and isn't likely to improve but how much of a premium is anybody going to pay for potential?
Truly something for everything is right. I watch the video and I just get frustrated by his offense. So many plays called for him and so many bad results. And yet, his rebounding was legit good. He actually saved a few possessions with his effort there, they weren't just empty calories.
But I think my biggest frustration with him (well, besides the pick six habit he seems to have gotten from Draymond and Steph and that he's not good enough to be forgiven for) is this quote: "in hindsight, it would have been better for JK to attack while the defense was rotating." It's a pattern that I worry will never disappear. JK doesn't see the optimal play quick enough to exploit it. Maybe it's a learnable skill, but I'm pessimistic. I see it happen quite a bit where he loses advantage in the halfcourt waiting a bit analyzing the court. And he's not good enough in isolation to willingly give up that advantage.
I will also say his defense was pretty good in this clip. Much easier to forgive being too aggressive than being too passive. He was definitely not coasting there, which does bring hope.
I don’t know the game well enough to contribute meaningful JK analysis, but my gut reaction is that our patience will be rewarded if we can find a path to keeping him around. He does seem to be trying, and he does seem to be learning, and he is still very, very young.
On the side of hope for Kuminga, I think the only way he sticks around is if there’s basically no market for him. Either for some team making a big offer the Warriors won’t match, or some team wanting him as part of a sign a trade. Staying would mean signing a deal likely less than Moody’s (3 years, $38mm). If all this were to transpire, and he was on, say, a 2 year ‘prove that you can get better’ deal for $25mm, would that motivate or de-motivate him? A sulking JK would suck to have on the bench next year.
If the warriors get in, these playoffs will determine kuminga's next contract. I'm guessing anywhere from 15 (if he rides the pine) to 30 (if, as we're all desperately hoping, he shows out) per year.
How much do we really know about what he thinks about all this himself? I mean, if it were me and you suggested only paying me a lousy 25 million dollars I would pout and sulk, but what if Jonathan thinks that’s quite a lot of money and is delighted to continue learning from Draymond and Jimmy?
I tend to follow what Kuminga says and does pretty closely and I can't say I've ever heard him say anything about money, so I agree that we don't know anything much about it. As an interview he is, hoping not to offend, kind of a bore. He spouts all the right cliches about learning every single day and learning from coaches and probably his agent says "Yup, just keep saying those things."
It’s interesting to consider that teammates like Draymond may be pumping up his confidence on a daily basis — just as they should — while privately hoping that he can read the room and understands his current value(!)
I'm on the pro-Kuminga side of the fence, so I'm pretty happy to find evidence of progress (especially on the defensive side, where I don't really see what's going on live).
That play where Loon was searching for a shooter to screen for was funny. Live, I was pretty sure Kevon carried the ball, and was glad they didn't call it.
I think the 4th offensive possession is the key to "unlocking" Kuminga's spacing. I feel like I'm beating a bit of a dead horse here because I emphasize it so much, but to me, the last thing you want is Kuminga standing in a corner. And I think, given how many of these clips Kuminga is involved in the action, the coaching staff knows this too.
That Buddy drive should be an AUTOMATIC backdoor baseline cut for JK in that situation. Pretty much any opposite side driver should lead to some type of downhill cut for him, whether a face cut or a backdoor.
Even if he doesn't get the ball, it almost certainly allows Buddy to skip to a sliding down Moody for an open 3.
In the circumstances where the play happens too quick for him to cut, the mindset should be quick swing (like he does to Moody here, albeit with clunky spacing because Buddy cuts out the same side) OR quickly into a dribble handoff to Moody, channeling the way GP2 and Draymond handle these situations.
Candidly, Draymond himself has shot way too many of these 3s this year instead of going into handoffs, which is what makes me think the staff is over emphasizing "staying spaced and shoot the open shot" in this scenario too much.
I will shout it until I'm blue in the face, spacing is not just about making open 3s!
The other point I'd make, on the defensive end, is that we rarely see Kuminga give up straight line drives. While his weakside help defense is a bit of a Salvador Dalí painting, he's one of probably only 3-4 guys who falls into this category in on ball defense (GP2, Dray, Jimmy).
The Warriors on ball defense often leaves a bit to be desired because they rarely don't have an exploitable defender to attack and while I like being switchable with the more interchangeable wing types, I'd like to see them not concede switches so easily late in game when people will just keep targeting Podz or Curry to attack. I'd like to see a bit more blitzing sprinkled in.
I believe JK is a classic case of he wants to be one thing and the Warriors want him to be something else. Young guy, very physically talented. Probably dominated play when he was 16,17. Dreams of being Kobe. It is tough to be self aware when you are young, talented and think you are better than you are. I think he is trying to do what the coaches want but it is an internal struggle if deep down you really see yourself differently. Who knows what he has been told by his friends and low level coaches since he was 15?
I think he has an internal struggle that is very understandable.
I have no idea how he is going to turn out, but he has been gifted some great mentors.
It all comes down to him and what he believes and if he is a guy who can really become a good shooter or not.
To be a potential all star he will have to become a legit shooter, and everything will flow from there.
Think about what it must be like for him to have that conflict of playing with Steph and Klay and probably always being conflicted about should I shoot it or not.
A lot of young talented guys want to score 30 a game and defense and rebounding is not their NBA Dream and focus.
I think he is trying and I have no idea how it all ends.
Four teams, three chairs. Who’s left standing when the music stops? Today, we find out.
Do you think the rockets play their guys this game and try to win? If not, Denver and Minn are in (Utah needs to lose), so it's just about who wins our game
It’s a good question. Feels like we’ve really been hurt by the timing of teams playing to win or not this season.
Even though technically it's still the regular season, this will be the first opportunity for playoff jimmy to make an appearance. I hope he shows up so they can get a good week's rest.
Semi-OT: during the Portland game, I kept waiting to hear one of the announcers mention that Rayan Rupert's sister Iliana is on the Valkyrie's roster after being picked from Atlanta in the expansion draft, but maybe I missed it.
Oddly enough, the official WNBA roster page https://valkyries.wnba.com/roster doesn't mention her, but all other sources seem to agree that she plays for the team.
GSV definitely has Iliana Rupert’s rights, but I haven’t seen confirmation that she’ll sign a proper deal or play this season in the WNBA.
Wow, what a great breakdown. I like you breaking down both offense and defense for a player. Usually your focus is on a type of play -- say, a split cut -- and maybe the player it features, and I've learned a ton from those and like them.
But I also like that this one is about a player, not a play. Watching during the game I sometimes want to follow a particular player for a while to see their overall game, but I am naturally also watching the rest of the game in real time and can't track like this. Highlight replays don't break down what was going on like this does. For example, just noting that there were those three called plays is interesting. It implies that coaching wanted to test or practice Kuminga's role.
I think your general conclusion is spot on: Kuminga may turn out to be much better than he is now, or not much better, and no one really knows yet. And I also agree that it's one of the arguments that is most hotly contested among Warrior fans.
I am not nearly as certain how this will all turn out as readers of my posts over time may think. I am of course, as my avatar shows, a fan of Kuminga's play. But I am not ready to bet on his future superstardom at all. I'd love to see it, but I'll keep my betting money in my pocket, despite the NBA airing nonstop betting ads.
Many times, what has motivated me to post about Kuminga is a sense that fans are posting too purely negative evaluations too often. I have resigned as Kuminga's PR Guy, but while toiling away as such, there was most games more than one opportunity for me to leap (no doubt excessively and obnoxiously) to defend his play.
That's why I like this breakdown so much: it says: here's what's going on, good bad, and ugly. That of course could be done every game. It could also be done for any player. Even Saint Stephen makes mistakes and misses. (I hope I'm still allowed on the site after saying that.) But I think there's no player for whom we more need a deep dive than Kuminga and no better time for it than on the cusp of the playoffs. I WOULD bet that coaching staff has done all such thinking and much more and I hope that it pays off.
Thanks for the great breakdown, Professor Apricot.
JK is being held criticized a little to harshly by some of us Dubs fans. I am really hoping he finds his stride and play like before he got injured. We will need that level of play from him if we ever make the playoffs.
Excited for the game vs the Clippers. I may not be able to watch but I will lock in.
No. Don't lock in.
LOCK IN
I have so much to learn from EA. I really struggled with balancing the views of the formalists and contextual historicists while seeking deeper understanding of Warriors’ celebrations. Would Marxist or Structuralist approaches perhaps give me the meaning I so desperately crave? But digging deep into my art historical education, I realized there was only one complete answer.
Of course it has to be Reader Response Theory. This branch of literary criticism emphasizes the viewer’s/reader's role in constructing meaning from a text or work of art. It argues that meaning isn't inherent in the work itself, but rather emerges through the viewer’s interaction and interpretation, influenced by their experiences, beliefs, and cultural context. Not only does each Warrior celebrant create their own contextual moment, but EA supersedes their collective responses with a meta-celebration summation that simultaneously aggregates his ontological presence as a viewer and recorder with the contextual meanings that we DNHQ readers create to foster our own multiversal understanding of Warrior motion poetry.
I like JK in isolation, but I just don't see a guy that is ever going to be a max contract player. A defensive specialist like GPII who can shoot the occasional corner 3 got a 3 years, 27m. Payton is every bit as athletic as JK however he lacks the size and isn't likely to improve but how much of a premium is anybody going to pay for potential?
Truly something for everything is right. I watch the video and I just get frustrated by his offense. So many plays called for him and so many bad results. And yet, his rebounding was legit good. He actually saved a few possessions with his effort there, they weren't just empty calories.
But I think my biggest frustration with him (well, besides the pick six habit he seems to have gotten from Draymond and Steph and that he's not good enough to be forgiven for) is this quote: "in hindsight, it would have been better for JK to attack while the defense was rotating." It's a pattern that I worry will never disappear. JK doesn't see the optimal play quick enough to exploit it. Maybe it's a learnable skill, but I'm pessimistic. I see it happen quite a bit where he loses advantage in the halfcourt waiting a bit analyzing the court. And he's not good enough in isolation to willingly give up that advantage.
I will also say his defense was pretty good in this clip. Much easier to forgive being too aggressive than being too passive. He was definitely not coasting there, which does bring hope.
I don’t know the game well enough to contribute meaningful JK analysis, but my gut reaction is that our patience will be rewarded if we can find a path to keeping him around. He does seem to be trying, and he does seem to be learning, and he is still very, very young.
On the side of hope for Kuminga, I think the only way he sticks around is if there’s basically no market for him. Either for some team making a big offer the Warriors won’t match, or some team wanting him as part of a sign a trade. Staying would mean signing a deal likely less than Moody’s (3 years, $38mm). If all this were to transpire, and he was on, say, a 2 year ‘prove that you can get better’ deal for $25mm, would that motivate or de-motivate him? A sulking JK would suck to have on the bench next year.
If the warriors get in, these playoffs will determine kuminga's next contract. I'm guessing anywhere from 15 (if he rides the pine) to 30 (if, as we're all desperately hoping, he shows out) per year.
How much do we really know about what he thinks about all this himself? I mean, if it were me and you suggested only paying me a lousy 25 million dollars I would pout and sulk, but what if Jonathan thinks that’s quite a lot of money and is delighted to continue learning from Draymond and Jimmy?
I tend to follow what Kuminga says and does pretty closely and I can't say I've ever heard him say anything about money, so I agree that we don't know anything much about it. As an interview he is, hoping not to offend, kind of a bore. He spouts all the right cliches about learning every single day and learning from coaches and probably his agent says "Yup, just keep saying those things."
It’s interesting to consider that teammates like Draymond may be pumping up his confidence on a daily basis — just as they should — while privately hoping that he can read the room and understands his current value(!)
That was excellent, thank you.
I'm on the pro-Kuminga side of the fence, so I'm pretty happy to find evidence of progress (especially on the defensive side, where I don't really see what's going on live).
That play where Loon was searching for a shooter to screen for was funny. Live, I was pretty sure Kevon carried the ball, and was glad they didn't call it.
> Live, I was pretty sure Kevon carried the ball, and was glad they didn't call it.
You don’t watch Trae Young or Ja Morant much, do you?
No, but I'm aware that carries are called about once every blue moon.
It's just a little more obvious when it's a big man trying to make a play, I think.
Thanks for the video Eric, really enjoyed it.
I think the 4th offensive possession is the key to "unlocking" Kuminga's spacing. I feel like I'm beating a bit of a dead horse here because I emphasize it so much, but to me, the last thing you want is Kuminga standing in a corner. And I think, given how many of these clips Kuminga is involved in the action, the coaching staff knows this too.
That Buddy drive should be an AUTOMATIC backdoor baseline cut for JK in that situation. Pretty much any opposite side driver should lead to some type of downhill cut for him, whether a face cut or a backdoor.
Even if he doesn't get the ball, it almost certainly allows Buddy to skip to a sliding down Moody for an open 3.
In the circumstances where the play happens too quick for him to cut, the mindset should be quick swing (like he does to Moody here, albeit with clunky spacing because Buddy cuts out the same side) OR quickly into a dribble handoff to Moody, channeling the way GP2 and Draymond handle these situations.
Candidly, Draymond himself has shot way too many of these 3s this year instead of going into handoffs, which is what makes me think the staff is over emphasizing "staying spaced and shoot the open shot" in this scenario too much.
I will shout it until I'm blue in the face, spacing is not just about making open 3s!
The other point I'd make, on the defensive end, is that we rarely see Kuminga give up straight line drives. While his weakside help defense is a bit of a Salvador Dalí painting, he's one of probably only 3-4 guys who falls into this category in on ball defense (GP2, Dray, Jimmy).
The Warriors on ball defense often leaves a bit to be desired because they rarely don't have an exploitable defender to attack and while I like being switchable with the more interchangeable wing types, I'd like to see them not concede switches so easily late in game when people will just keep targeting Podz or Curry to attack. I'd like to see a bit more blitzing sprinkled in.