Warriors’ Kuminga sets lofty goal for fourth NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
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SAN FRANCISCO – Although Warriors coach Steve Kerr touts defense as the path to the NBA playoffs, Draymond Green is the only decorated defender on the roster. In order for the team to reach the postseason, he will need some help.
It’s Jonathan Kuminga, raising his hand and saying he wants to go where Green has been eight times: an All-Defensive team.
“That’s my goal,” Kuminga said on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Dubs Talk” podcast. “That’s one of my goals. Not just being an All-Star. I’m trying to get my head out there and try to be on one of those teams. First team, second team, All-NBA, All-Defensive. It would mean a lot. I feel I can do it.”
When he is focused and determined, Kuminga is an additional defender, especially on the ball. When he drifts from his foundations, he can be loose. His overall team defense — court awareness, playing his role inside the shell — has improved since his rookie season but remains a work in progress.
There is no question, Kuminga has the physical tools to become a great defender. He is agile, has quick feet and is among the most athletic players in the league. He often splits duties with Andrew Wiggins as the primary on-ball defender in the starting lineup.
“It’s just more consistent on defense,” Kuminga said. “Locking in. Good preparation every day. Watching film and getting to know the opponent. And having good talks with Draymond and (Kevon Looney).”
Green and Looney have helped guide Kuminga to the point where coach Steve Kerr will trust him against most any perimeter player. Results through the 22-year-old forward’s first three seasons have been mixed. He has not yet received a single vote in the poll.
Kuminga hopes to see his name on some ballots at the end of the season.
“I guarded most of the best players we play against,” Kuminga said. “It doesn’t matter. From my junior year until now, they always throw me in there to guard the best players. So far I am doing well. It’s only a matter of time.
“I feel like I can guard one to four, one to five. If we go down, I could play the four and we could all switch.”
Brandin Podziemski was the only Warrior to receive a vote last season, a second-team mention on one ballot. Green’s absences, mostly due to suspensions, limited him to 55 games, 10 short of the 65-game minimum required to be eligible for postseason awards.
The first time two Warriors made the All-Defensive team was in 2015, when they won the NBA Finals for the first time in 40 years. Andrew Bogut and Green made the squad for the first time.
The last time two Warriors received the honor was in 2019, when Golden State reached its fifth consecutive NBA Finals. Klay Thompson joined Green on the All-Defensive team.
Green needs help on that end for the Warriors to climb. No one knows this better than Kerr, who will provide Kuminga with plenty of opportunities to make his case.
