Jonathan

Kuminga

Kuminga’s play has improved since Steve Kerr moved him to the bench after Stephen Curry’s ankle injury. Is it about the strategy, with improved spacing being the goal? Or is Kuminga channeling any potential anger over the lineup change? Whatever the answer is, fantasy managers have benefitted from his improved play. Kuminga remains outside the top 200 in fantasy value, but nights like Saturday will help change that.

Kuminga’s gotten off to a slow start, shooting 8-of-24 (33.3%) from the field in Golden State’s first three games. The good news on Sunday was that he recorded three steals, so there was some value for fantasy managers to derive from this performance. With Stephen Curry exiting due to a sprained ankle, Kuminga is one of the players in line for a boost if the Warriors star has to miss time.

While the Lakers did not play any of their key players, the Warriors had everyone available except Stephen Curry. His absence freed up additional opportunities for others, with Kuminga taking full advantage. Kuminga led six Warriors in double figures while shooting over 50% from the field. He didn’t provide any defensive stats on Friday, and that will be key if Kuminga is to be a credible fantasy asset during the regular season. For now, he’s a late-round option in most leagues.

The Warriors remain without Andrew Wiggins, and even with the offseason signing of Kyle Anderson, Kuminga offers a higher upside. On Friday, he played well in a bench role, the second consecutive exhibition in which Kuminga has been efficient as a scorer. Through two exhibitions against the Kings, he went a combined 7-of-11 from distance. Expecting Kuminga to shoot at that clip in the regular season would be unrealistic, but he’s made strides.

Kuminga joined Draymond Green and Stephen Curry as the three players that have started both of Golden State’s preseason games. It feels like Kuminga’s spot in the starting unit should be safe despite them having two open spots, though Andrew Wiggins has yet to play in the preseason. However, it was still encouraging to see Kuminga knock down four 3-pinters in this game, and fantasy managers will certainly be rooting for him to continue to start even when Wiggins is healthy.

Golden State is making a few adjustments, with Podz and Looney replacing De’Anthony Melton and Trayce Jackson-Davis. It’s unclear what Steve Kerr intends to do with his starting lineup on opening night, but he is definitely going to be experimenting during the preseason. The good news is that it seems like Kuminga is locked in as a starter.

The Dubs are reportedly more engaged in Marrkannen trade talks than any other team but aren’t willing to fork up Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga in a deal like the Utah wants them too. The two sides are at a standstill. The Dubs’ young pieces have the most to gain from a fantasy perspective with a move to Utah, should the two teams come to an agreement.

While the 2023-24 season was the best of Kuminga’s NBA career, his skill set limited where he could play within the Warriors’ rotation. According to Cleaning the Glass, 96% of his minutes were played at the power forward position, meaning he could not share the floor with Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis. That trio can be Golden State’s best defensive frontcourt, but only if Kuminga expands his offensive repertoire. “I think he sees the floor pretty well, but his fundamentals in terms of passing have to improve if he’s going to play the three,” Kerr said. “We need him to play the three if we want to have Trayce out there at the five and Draymond at the four. That ideally would be a great defensive lineup. But we’re not ready for that yet as a team.”

While some of their starters struggled in Tuesday’s defeat, the Warriors received good minutes from Kuminga and Moses Moody. Both scored 16 points off the bench, with the former capping a decent third season. However, even with the improved production, Kuminga finished the regular season just outside the top 150 in 8- and 9-cat formats. As for Moody, his 16 points were supplemented by three rebounds, one assist, and two 3-pointers in 15 minutes. He finished the season ranked outside the top 250 in 8- and 9-cat formats. Both wings are eligible for rookie-scale extensions this summer, with Kuminga appearing to have a better chance of receiving that kind of commitment from the Warriors.

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will miss this game, which will allow for Paul and Kuminga to return to the starting unit. They could still move up the standings if the Kings and Lakers lose, and this group should still be able to get a win over the tanking Jazz. While Paul will return to the bench for the Play-In Tournament next week, Steve Kerr could make an adjustment in the frontcourt based on how things go in this one.