onathan Kuminga has the look of a future NBA star, but that doesn’t mean he’s exempt from his duties as a Warriors rookie.J
That includes, apparently, carrying around a chess and checkers board for one Klay Thompson. Kuminga brought the board into his postgame availability after the Warriors’ 119-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday and explained why he was toting around the game on the Warriors’ road trip.
“I don’t play neither of those games,” Kuminga said with a smile when asked if he was a chess or checkers guy. “I just got to do my rookie duty and carry that for Klay.”
While the Warriors finished their four-game road trip at 1-3, Kuminga was the lone bright spot. The No. 7 overall pick gave the Warriors good minutes in losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Timberwolves and had a career night during Golden State’s blowout win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
Kuminga has left a positive impression on his veteran teammates as he works to earn more consistent minutes for one of the NBA’s best teams.
“Jon is an incredible athlete,” Thompson said Sunday. “His ability to play at the rim is incredible. I loved his aggressiveness tonight. It shows with 10 free throws. He’s going to be a huge part of this team for a long time.”
“Man, he is an athlete,’ Andrew Wiggins said of the rookie. “He can jump out the gym. He’s fast. He’s strong as s—t. He’s got it all. And today, he showed out. He was aggressive toward the rim, hitting his shots, played amazing defense. The sky’s the limit for him.”
The sky very well could be the limit for Kuminga. He is developing faster than anticipated, and there is a chance he will play a role in the title chase to come.
Even if that’s the case, he’ll still have to perform his rookie duties. The only thing that can bring those to a close is the start of his sophomore season. Only 10 more months to go.
