With Klay Thompson now in Dallas, the Golden State Warriors will have to rely even more on Stephen Curry's scoring ability to remain a contender in the NBA. Curry has had an elite threat by his side for most of his NBA career, and the team is now searching for another star player.
If they fail to make a move before the 2024-25 season starts, Jonathan Kuminga will have to be that guy. Kuminga is still just 21 years old and has improved his averages across the board in each of his three seasons with the Warriors.
He should have received more recognition as one of the most improved players in the NBA last year after averaging over 16 points per game on .529 shooting from the field. This could be the season he takes his game to a whole new level.
"You want to know what I tell him? There is nobody in the world that can stop you, and then he believes it, and he goes and shows that there is nobody in the world that can stop him," said Draymond Green last season after Kuminga scored 26 points in a win over Philadelphia.
That is the mindset the Warriors forward needs to take into his fourth season in the league. The team is relying on him to step it up even more, and based on the makeup of Golden State's roster, there is no reason he cannot increase his scoring output to over 20 points a game.
He looks to be improving his overall basketball skills this offseason, in addition to his already elite athleticism and power. Early in his career, it was hard for Kuminga to make a huge jump, as there were not always enough minutes to go around. Now, he is one of the most essential pieces of the team and will be force-fed opportunities. It is just a matter of what he does with those opportunities.
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