Jonathan Kuminga is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young NBA players coming into the 2023-24 breakout season.
But is this hype premature?
Dan Favre of Bleacher Report released a ranking of the “most overrated” players in the league, with Kuminga taking the top spot.
1. Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
Summary: More minutes and more plays are needed on both ends of the court.
“I'm starting to think he might be one of the most overrated players in the NBA,” Dan Favre said on Bleacher Report's “Hardwood Knox” podcast. “No disrespect meant, but we're talking about him as a non-star, like Mikal Bridges. I think he has potential. But right now, I don't trust his jump shot. I don't trust his ability to shoot it himself unless he has space. And his defense is just all over the place.”
“That's because this is a glamorous franchise, he's the best version of a prospect they have, so everybody knows him,” Grant Hughes added. “And the highlights do too. We love A-plus athleticism. And that makes it hard to think rationally.” [how he] He doesn't get in the right spot defensively very often. He doesn't get the rebounds very often. So I don't think it's a stretch to say he's significantly overrated. At the same time, I think his potential is still insanely high.“
“It's debatable how Golden State is responsible for Kuminga's long-term limitations,” Favare wrote. “Until last season, he didn't have what you'd call a consistent role, and arguably his per-minute productivity was spectacular.”
“But the idea that he's going to be a central figure, whether inside or outside the Warriors organization, is a strange one. Maybe one day that will happen. I hope that will happen. But we're not there yet.”
The four players behind Kuminga are Houston's Jalen Green (No. 2), Charlotte's Miles Bridges (No. 3), Denver's Jamal Murray (No. 4) and Orlando's Jonathan Isaac (No. 5).
After selecting the then-18-year-old Kuminga with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the young forward struggled to maintain a clear and consistent role in head coach Steve Kerr's rotation over his first two seasons but was a standout last season.
In 74 games (46 starts) in the 2023-24 season, Kuminga averaged career highs in points (16.1), rebounds (4.8) and assists (2.2) while shooting 52.9% from the field and 32.1% from 3-point range.
The 21-year-old has become a consistent second-string scorer behind superstar guard Stephen Curry and continues to display the explosiveness that led Golden State to draft him three years ago.
But as Bleacher Report points out, Kuminga has room to grow defensively, and Kerr has repeatedly emphasized that he wants Kuminga to improve as both a shooter and a playmaker.
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