As the Golden State Warriors embark on their latest NBA season, there are big expectations for Jonathan Kuminga. Several former NBA stars shared their predictions for the upcoming season, including quite a bold one for Kuminga and the Warriors.
Many fans and analysts will put the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, or Denver Nuggets as their picks to win the NBA championship. However, Stephen Jackson, who won a championship in 2003 with the San Antonio Spurs, offered several different picks.
According to Jackson, this year’s champ will be either the Dallas Mavericks, featuring rookie Cooper Flagg, or the Golden State Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Kuminga. The latter pick might surprise some fans, although Golden State seemed like they had the potential to eliminate the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs several months ago, until injury struck Curry.
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In a recent “All the Smoke” video clip, Jackson and his co-star, Gilbert Arenas, ran through their predictions for various player awards. Both named Nikola Jokic as their pick to win MVP, and they also both named Kuminga as their preseason pick to win NBA Most Improved Player.
The Warriors added Kuminga to their roster as their No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He’d seen steady improvement each of his seasons, although a sprained ankle sidelined him for a significant stretch and caused a regression last season. Kuminga appeared in just 47 games and averaged 12.5 points, four rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
Kuminga generated plenty of headlines this offseason, regarding restricted free agency and trade speculation. In late September, Golden State ultimately gave the 6-foot-7 forward a two-year contract for $48.5 million to continue playing for the Warriors.
The former NBA champion, Jackson, explained why he believes the Warriors can win the championship this year as they may present “the best starting lineup in the league.”
“Steph at the one, Jimmy at the two, Kuminga at the three, Dray at the four, Horford at the five. I like that. That’s probably the best five in the league,” he said.
“Coming down the playoffs in the fourth quarter, I would not trust any other five in the fourth quarter in a big game more than those guys there,” Jackson stated.
Kuminga will suit up for Tuesday night’s season opener against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers, with Golden State looking to show they’re the team to watch out for. However, an interesting lineup note arrived before the game.
Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr revealed he planned to use their recently acquired star Al Horford off the bench, rather than as part of the starting lineup. In addition to Curry, Butler, Green, and Brandin Podziemski, Kuminga is a confirmed starter as the season opens.
With that in mind, several former NBA players expect Kuminga to flourish and show immense improvement in a significant role with Golden State, so stay tuned.
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