133 Comments

Interesting comment by Jarrett Jack, who was Kuminga's teammate on Ignite:

“The Ignite was his first time playing against a scheme defense. He’d never really seen it before. So, while he’s going to go shoot 1,000 jump shots every day, or whatever, he has to make sure he’s working on the cerebral side too. That’s what usually separates guys.”

Whole article:

https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/jarrett-jack-sees-incredibly-high-ceiling-jonathan-kuminga

Expand full comment

The thing I'm looking for in training camp / preseason is how Kuminga plays when not the primary ball handler. I want to see how well he cuts backdoor and how well he can screen on and off-ball, and if he ends up being a ball stopper if the ball gets swung around to him.

Expand full comment

As for Kuminga, apart from the obvious elephant in the room being his jumper, one of the other keys for him might be to transition away from his current archetype of being the primary initiator/shot-creator and become more of a defensive-minded 4/5 who serves as a secondary slasher on offense. He can obviously attack the rim in transition and off cuts, and some postups over smaller guys where he can use his strength to back them down are also probably good. If he starts mastering those, perhaps you could give him more on-ball creation opportunities with the Santa Cruz Warriors (which is something that should likely happen regardless). Defensively if he can become a switchable 5 that obviously opens up a lot of avenues for him to be a very productive NBA player, even if his shot never comes around. He brings just rim protection to be a spot C, and I think he brings enough strength and athleticism for the role too. Mostly it depends on his understanding of defensive concepts (playing C in the NBA is really hard) and his rebounding (do they get killed on the boards with Kuminga at the 5?).

Expand full comment

Stats I found on reddit:

Per Cleaning the Glass, among players with 1500+ minutes this past regular season, the highest offensive On/Offs were:

1. Steph (+15.2)

2. Draymond (+14.4)

That means 2 things:

(a) Steph and Dray were really freakin' good.

(b) Our bench offense was pathetic.

Need Poole and Klay to fix that. If the Collison thing is true and he is added to the roster (and remains the player he was before his premature retirement), we could legitimately have an okay offense with the backup unit (say Collison/Poole-Klay/Poole-Moody/Wiggins-OPJ/JTA-Bjelly). I think people are underestimating how going from league-worst offenses (or close enough) to merely bad would be for our bench units.

That's why I'm way higher on us than most people for the regular season. I sincerely doubt our offensively capabilities in the playoffs against high-level defenses due to no legitimate shot-creation apart from Steph, but we should be pretty good in the regular season.

Expand full comment

I am proposing the ultimate "Be careful What You Wish for" Mega-team mega-trade. Steph-Klay-Dray-Wiggs-Moody-J Dub-Kuminga & Poole all going out. Coming in: Lillard, Beale, LaMelo Ball, Simmons, Davion Mitchell and pick up Marc Gasol, Aldridge, Millsap, Patty Mills & Nic Batum with midlevels and minimums. We get everyone we have had to suffer through trade rumors, draft remorse, and FA pick up hopefuls for the last year and a half. We get everyone that everyone has been crying for that would obviously help make us a Championship team. If they are all so great, wouldn't they be a Championship team on their own? Hell, I'm sold. Heading to Trade Checker now. If I'm not back in 3 days, someone call 911. LOL

Expand full comment

Am I the only one bummed about Millsap to the nets? I wonder how much of the MLE it would have taken to lure him away. Not only would there be one more rotation quality player on the dubs, there would be one less on the nets... 😖

If we end up catching lightning in a bottle w/ Chiozza or Collison I'll eat my words, but Millsap seems like a much surer bet, even though PF isn't really a position of need atm.

Expand full comment

Come on. Let's get (un)real. Kuminga's a kid with the maturity and drive to learn. Myers just hired some GREAT talent developers. I predict HUGE upsides THIS coming season and postseason. For Moody and Wiseman, too, and Poole. Why wait? Wiseman's just got to get healthy and play a lot more. He's smart, too, and eager. But he's got to fill out. Hopefully, he's been able to hit the weight room and dining table while recuperating. He needs an additional 30 pounds of muscle - hey, if DeChambeau can do it, Wiseman can do it, and Wiseman won't look all that different - just a little less fragile.

So for all you "realists" (pessimists) talking about G-League and development time, it's time to get unreal. Heck, with COVID, fires, smoke, hurricanes, floods, refugee flights from the last dumb war, anti-democratic minorities passing unconstitutional laws, we need a little HOPE.

Mine's on Klay being better than before and the young ones developing faster. Out of nowhere, I tell you. NBA Champs. 2022. Because if I'm going to live in an unreal world, I might as well make it one I can enjoy.

Expand full comment
author

> @anthonyVslater

Darren Collison was in the Warriors facility yesterday and will be today. Played some pickup with group that included Steph Curry. Warriors still maintaining an unclaimed 15th roster spot.

Expand full comment

OT but looks like Millsap and Aldridge are on the Nets. If the Nets and Lakers meet in the finals they'll just collide and turn into dust

Expand full comment
Sep 2, 2021Liked by Eric Apricot

Obviously, JK developing a wet jumper would be ridiculously useful thing. But if his summer league showing as a precocious bully in the paint and on defense holds up in camp, that’s a really useful player who will certainly justify minutes with the big club. If the warriors deploy him as a slasher on offense as Eric described he’s going to amass a mountain of foul call at the very least. If he makes the shots(and free throws) all the better. And if the defense has to bring help, no reason why Wiseman can’t be on the floor with him and receive those easy dunk looks. I, for one, am stoked to see how it plays out.

Expand full comment
Sep 2, 2021Liked by Eric Apricot

yeah, I tend to agree that early on, they will look for small ball 5 opportunities. I think it's the easiest path for consistent minutes, especially while Wiseman still on the mend and they are a little thin at Center. Next, I want to see him take a D rebound and sprint down past mid court then STOP, pass to a guard who will initiate the offense. JK has a 'coast to coast' mentality, he will always default to downhill. I would like to see him get some "be in control" "less is more" reps just so he understands he has an option when the transition isn't there. Draymond is great at this, pushing the ball, maxing out up court, and then recognizing whether or not the transition play is there. I think JK will have more success early on emulating Green, defense, passing & transition. His time at the 3 should be equal to the improvement of his outside shot. The better the shot, the more time at the 3.

Expand full comment
Sep 2, 2021Liked by Eric Apricot

To me, Kuminga will go as far as his jumper. He's got all the tools but he consistently (so far) has been incredibly inefficient because he can't hit the reasonable shots he creates. And unfortunately, the FT% isn't suggesting he's a great shooter who was just missing them in game.

In year 1, I think his best bet for success is playing small ball 5, but I think he needs as much G league time as he can get as well. I have a feeling that until one of them because ultra consistent with their jumper, Wiseman and Kuminga can't share the floor at an NBA level yet. But if they do share the floor, there would be 1-2 out of this world highlights a game.

Expand full comment