New Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga is on the cusp of a fresh start.
Earlier this month, the Hawks acquired Kuminga and forward Buddy Hield in a trade that sent center Kristaps Porzingis to the Warriors. Now the Hawks have the chance to add a set of skills to the roster that they did not have at the beginning of the season.
A 6-foot-8 forward, Kuminga might not be the strongest shooter. But he makes up for that with his ability to get to the rim on his drives, all while drawing fouls. Kuminga has ranked among the top 80% of players at his position in drawing fouls. By comparison, the Hawks have ranked in the bottom 40% of players at their position in drawing fouls.
On top of that, the Hawks gain another cutter and slasher among their rotation, which will allow them to continue improving their off-ball movement.
But the Hawks will take advantage of Kuminga’s athletic ability, especially when they need him in one-on-one defensive situations. Kuminga moves his feet quickly and can navigate screens well, and that will complement what the Hawks already have with Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels.
Kuminga also doesn’t get pushed off his spots easily, making it tougher for offensive opponents to drive on him.
Of course, the Hawks will have to wait to see how Kuminga will fit as he continues to progress through his rehab for a bone bruise in his left knee. But the team is insistent that he will have a chance in Atlanta.
“It made sense, given our timeline and what we’re trying to do, having a 23-year-old with a ton of potential,” Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said Feb 7.
“I think the things that he helps us with are his rim pressure that he puts on. He’s a phenomenal athlete. He’s a good rebounder. I think in transition, he could be absolutely phenomenal, and he adds size at the wing position if we ever need to add another defender to guard one of these bigger wings in the league. So, really excited about Jonathan.”
The Warriors selected Kuminga with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft out of G League Ignite. It began a promising start to his career at age 19.
Kuminga earned a place in the NBA’s Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star weekend in his rookie season as an injury replacement for Chris Duarte. His rookie campaign ended with a ring after the Warriors defeated the Celtics in six games.
Since then, the Warriors struggled to figure out how Kuminga would fit. An ESPN report detailed the deterioration of the relationship between Kuminga and the Warriors’ coach and front office, including concerns about his buy-in to the organization’s broader goals.
This season, Kuminga has averaged 12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 23.8 minutes. In 13 starts with the Warriors, he averaged 14.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists across 28.4 minutes of play. Kuminga has scored 10-plus points 11 times this season, including season highs of 25 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Memphis on Oct. 27.
The Hawks believe in Kuminga and the words “he’s a good kid” repeatedly come up when conversations steer toward him.
“I think, more than anything, it’s just seeing how he fits in with the style of play and different things like that,” Saleh said. “He has some abilities that we just don’t have on the court, honestly, with our roster.
“So him attacking the rim and rebounding and playing in transition, let’s just see how it all works. But he does have things that we looked at that make sense for us, and he’s going to have an opportunity.”
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