Jonathan Kuminga, with Warriors in need of points, gets a big chance he must seize

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MINNEAPOLIS — Jonathan Kuminga did what he’s supposed to do, been conditioned against every fiber in his being to do. He looked for the superstar.

In this case, as he stood in the right corner, in front of the Golden State Warriors’ bench, it was Jimmy Butler, the new Batman now that Steph Curry is shelved with a hamstring injury.

Butler, at the right elbow and being defended by Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley Jr., locked eyes with Kuminga, the Warriors’ once-prodigy who was fresh out of rotational exile. However he got the message across — with his eyes, with his mouth, with his stillness, maybe all of the above — Butler released Kuminga from the invisible shackles of deferment with a clear directive.

Go, Kuminga. Go now.

“That’s a big trust,” Kuminga said. “I had to make something happen.”

So Kuminga squeezed baseline past Minnesota center Rudy Gobert. Kuminga planted two feet once he got under the rim and, after a quick fake, lunged vertically towards the rim. Gobert, playing catch-up the whole way, was too late to stop Kuminga’s two-handed flush. But not too late to be part of it.

JONATHAN
KUMINGA
💪💪💪💪

📺 @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/iZQlSG8Dp8

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 9, 2025

Kuminga’s dunk was part of a 16-6 run that cut a 17-point Timberwolves lead to seven Thursday in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series. He began the run with a quick baseline drive for an easy dunk and capped it with a 3-pointer from the left corner. Meaning Kuminga was los signos de exclamación of Golden State’s most threatening stretch in the game. The hope emerging from the Warriors’ 117-93 defeat, evening the series, is that they found something that might work for their offense, something to help fill the expanse created by Curry’s injury.

This is Kuminga’s chance, perhaps the last one with the Warriors. This is his window for vindication. His opening for the refurbishment of his narrative. His dream deferred no longer.

The Warriors need him. Not the version of him they’ve chiseled to fit into their championship structure. But the version of him sculpted in his mind. The superstar in the making. The unstoppable force waiting to be uninhibited by the immovable object of the Warriors’ philosophy.

As he hit his first eight shots and totaled a team-high 18 points, finding success attacking the Timberwolves’ frontline, he felt capable of delivering. So much more capable than he’s looked since returning from the hibernation caused by his ankle sprain. It’s hard to remember the best of Kuminga, when head coach Steve Kerr and forward Draymond Green were declaring the Kuminga era had soft-launched back in December.

“I was very proud of just the way he’s stayed ready, stayed positive,” Kerr said. “This has not been an easy stretch for (him). He really came out there and did a great job today and showed what he’s made of. Obviously, he’ll be back out there in Game 3. We’re gonna need him.”

Their end-games have overlapped again, the Warriors’ and Kuminga’s. Golden State is desperate for a win to extend this series, buy Curry more time to return. One victory over the next three games ensures a Game 6 — which would be 12 days of rest for Curry. If Curry needs more time, Kuminga would almost have to be impactful if the Warriors have any hope of winning this series.

He can save their season, replenish his market value ahead of restricted free agency. Perhaps with just one explosive performance.

If it feels like a lot to heap on his shoulders, it is. But Kuminga has too much invested not to aggressively pursue this crack in the door.

JK is RIM ROCKIN’ 💪

📺 @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/vCD1wgzoow

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 9, 2025

Everything about Kuminga screams future star. He’s built like one, moves like one. From the Lamborghini he drove as a rookie to the inventory of his closet befitting a luxury fashion model to his aura of magnetism. Kuminga came to the Warriors with an expectation of greatness, to be groomed by Golden State’s pedigree.

It’s a disposition that often comes off as arrogance, as it clashes with the Warriors’ ethos. But a few things about Kuminga are worth remembering.

He left his home nation at 13 years old in pursuit of a dream. He didn’t see his parents for five years during arguably the most impressionable time of his life. He’s assumed the responsibility, the privilege, of taking care of his people. He’s worked on his game. He has grown as a player, even if some of the same flaws keep him off the court. Some of the elements the Warriors need from him now are possible because of his growth.

And his development has never been the focal point. Like most lottery picks, who get selected by losing franchises who have no choice but to prioritize their high draft choices, Kuminga’s path to the vision he crafted for himself required submission to the Warriors’ way of doing things, which revolves around Curry.

Orlando’s Franz Wagner, taken one pick after Kuminga and who was the preference for several in the organization on draft night, has totaled nearly 4,000 minutes more than Kuminga in his career, counting playoff action. The Magic have played just 12 postseason games since the 2021 draft, compared t0 44 for the Warriors, but Wagner has logged 165 more playoff minutes than Kuminga. Thursday was just Kuminga’s fourth time playing at least 20 minutes in a playoff game.

Is it unfair for Kuminga to be judged before he has received a similar opportunity to flourish like his peers? Or is it reasonable to tell him to get in where you fit in behind the Hall of Famers and take advantage of learning how to win first?

The answer is yes.

It’s been a tumultuous four years for Kuminga. He’s been anointed as the future, lauded as a post-Curry pillar. He’s also been trapped behind the likes of Anthony Lamb and Gui Santos in the Warriors’ traffic jam for minutes, a lottery pick leapfrogged by G Leaguers, silently declared unfit for a premium role on a premium team.

It felt as if that’s how Kuminga’s tenure would end. He was pulled from the regular rotation for the biggest games of the season — the finale against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Play-In Tournament game against Memphis, the seven-game series against Houston, and Game 1 against Minnesota.

His brief stints validated the coach’s decision, as well as his camp’s behind-the-scenes contention that his confined role works against him. Kuminga did not look good in his cup-of-coffee stints against Houston.

But Thursday, he got to sit down and dine. His first patch of minutes looked like the last few. He missed both free throws after drawing a foul. He made a pretty pull-up jumper, but followed with a turnover after getting stuck in the air trying to make a pass. He came out after 2:48 of action.

Choosers, however, the current Warriors are not. Without the abundance Curry provides, they are beggars. Kerr went up and down his bench in Game 2, panhandling for points. The starved Warriors offense couldn’t afford to pass on Kuminga. Not in Game 2. Not in Games 3 and 4 in San Francisco. Maybe not for the rest of these Western Conference semis.

“I feel like the confidence just came back,” he said, later adding, “I think everything is coming back together. As long as you stay out there and you know who you’re playing with. Just having that rhythm, breaking the sweat, just staying locked in. The rhythm kind of comes back slowly.”

The Warriors have little choice but to ride with Kuminga, and live with whatever happens. And he has little choice but to seize this moment.

(Top photo of Jonathan Kuminga driving to the basket during Thursday’s Game 2: Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBAE via Getty Images)

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