No Warriors mega deal forces Wiggins, Kuminga under spotlight originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Assuming the core of the roster remains intact for the next 19 days, the Warriors will open training camp with only two players, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, guaranteed to be starters.
We know what Curry has done and can still do. We know what Green has done, most of what he can still do – when available.
What neither we nor the Warriors know is what they will get from Andrew Wiggins, who has a 99 percent chance to start. The same goes for Jonathan Kuminga, who would appear to have at least an 80 percent chance to start.
If Curry and Green are available and playing at their usual level, any reasonable chance the Warriors return to the 50-win mark for just the second time since 2019 depends on either Wiggins and Kuminga — possibly both — performing at or near All . -Star level.
Too much to ask? Maybe. But it shouldn’t be.
Wiggins was an All-Star, being voted by fans as a Western Conference starter in 2022. He responded by reaching his peak a few months later, becoming a driving force as the Warriors rolled through an impressive postseason that ended with an NBA Finals. victory over the Boston Celtics.
Wiggins during those playoffs gave Golden State an amazing defense while averaging 16.5 points, on 46.9 percent shooting, and 7.5 rebounds. It was a sterling 22-game stretch as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft stayed focused and shed much of his reputation as a chronic underachiever.
In the two seasons later, Wiggins recovered most of that reputation. His production declined and, more damaging to the Warriors, he missed 56 games, mostly for family reasons.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr has stated on numerous occasions that the shooting guard/small forward positions of Klay Thompson and Wiggins are interchangeable. They are of similar size, with Wiggins the better athlete. Klay is the more natural shooter, Wiggins more slasher. The departure of Thompson to Dallas opens a door for Wiggins to walk through.
Wiggins, 29, knows he’s not the five-time All-Star Klay is but understands he’ll have an expanded offensive role. His generally calm demeanor belies a competitive nature that runs hotter than most think. Wiggins is likely to take on a new challenge. Maybe even need it.
If the absences continue, however, Wiggins won’t be much help to the Warriors and will certainly miss the festivities when All-Star Weekend returns to the Bay Area in February.
Which brings us to Kuminga. He longs for All-Star status and the perks that come with it. The 21-year-old forward has big dreams for his career, for his family, for his homeland in Africa. Being an NBA All-Star would be a big step in bringing those grand hopes to life.
Kuminga, 21, is eligible for contract extension and reportedly wants the maximum, about $225 million. Golden State wants to keep him but doesn’t want to go that high. Can’t blame them. Unlike fellow 2021 first-round picks extended this summer — Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Franz Wagner — JK has not yet been identified as a likely franchise player.
The Warriors, as is their right, want to see Kuminga continues the upward trajectory from last season. He was terrific in the second half, averaging nearly 20 points and shooting about 55 percent from the field. His Year 3 “leap” on offense met the eye test and was validated by metrics.
Although the front office is expected to let the Oct. 21 deadline pass without an extension, there is a belief that Kuminga can make another jump. That he can add three or four percentage points to his 34.1 percent 3-point shooting and that he can become a better passer and rebounder.
That Kuminga can join the multidimensional threats that populate the elite levels of NBA wings.
Such a development would create the most ideal situation for the Warriors. A lineup with Curry and Wiggins in the backcourt, where Trayce Jackson-Davis joins Green and Kuminga up front has tremendous defensive potential and can create many scoring opportunities.
“We need (Kuminga) to play the 3 if we want to have Trayce there at the 5 and Draymond, that would ideally be a great defensive lineup, athletically and (with) length,” Kerr said after last season. “But we’re not ready for that as a team yet. So those are the areas that would really help for JK.
“We’ll be working with him on those things all summer.”
Summer ends next week. The trade window has not closed, but it is getting smaller every day. Both Wiggins and Kuminga reportedly had a productive offseason, but that’s typical August talk.
If they approach peak levels and the Warriors stay relatively healthy, they should have enough talent to secure sixth place in the Western Conference.
