It's no secret that Jonathan Kuminga didn't get along well with his former head coach Steve Kerr. This tumultuous five-and-a-half-year relationship included many DNPs and ended with a trade to the Atlanta Hawks. As Kuminga embarks on a new journey with the Minnesota Timberwolves, there's a fair amount of focus on how he meshes with Chris Finch.
With a ton of on-ball talent, including Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, and Jaden McDaniels, the Timberwolves need Kuminga to embrace a complementary role, something that he didn't do with the Golden State Warriors. Fortunately, though, Kuminga and Finch have quickly hit it off, as both of them said nice things about each other during training camp.
“Good, great, really good, I think it’s been pretty seamless," Finch said about how Kuminga has assimilated to the Wolves. "I think he knows who we need him to be, he’s really kind of leaned into that, and it’s been really good. He had a pretty good feel for the game, like he’s a better passer than I thought from afar, defense has been really good.”
“It’s been great, I think he’s a vocal person, he’ll express himself, he’ll pull you to the side and he’ll listen to you," Kuminga said about his early impressions of Finch. "I think his communication has been great so far.”
A Jonathan Kuminga-Chris Finch connection will help the Timberwolves
Now, let's be honest, it's training camp—the vibes are supposed to be good, and neither party would say anything bad about each other. Nonetheless, it's a promising sign, and there's some other evidence to suggest that Finch's style is a better fit for Kuminga.
It's also worth noting that Finch was involved in recruiting Kuminga to the Timberwolves; this helped establish a connection from the get-go. Shortly after Kuminga was traded to the Hawks, Anthony Slater reported that "Kerr never had much success reaching Kuminga on a deeper level."
As such, this immediate connection dating back to August is highly relevant. Kuminga praising Finch for his communication is similarly important to note. Finch saying that Kuminga knows what the Wolves need him to be and that he's already leaned into this is an encouraging sign.
Both parties seem to be on the same page. Kuminga understands that he'll have a starting job. At the same time, he knows the importance of playing tenacious defense, thriving off the ball, and generally being a connective glue guy. Perhaps Kuminga maturing a little bit is a factor. However, my read is that the open communication from Finch and his openly expressed belief in Kuminga has helped this early acclimation process.
Finch's free-flowing offense is a better fit for Kuminga's playstyle than Kerr's intricate offense was. Furthermore, the Wolves have a ton of athleticism, which will make them play faster, a style of play that suits Kuminga's strengths. Sharing the court alongside LaMelo Ball will also help Kuminga a ton.
Simply put, all the early signs are incredibly promising.
Kuminga's ability to embrace a complementary role is a swing factor
Kuminga's fit is one of the most important swing factors in the Wolves' season.
If everything goes right, he can be a supercharged role player and help the Timberwolves' starting five maximize their talent and ultimately win the championship. As noted, Kuminga can accomplish this by being a physical and disruptive defender, an athletic play-finisher on offense, and cutting back on some of his daring shot selection.
That's not to say that Kuminga won't have any opportunities to create for himself, especially in Finch's free-flowing style of offense. Still, his primary offensive role will be play-finishing.
There's an unfortunate possibility that Kuminga doesn't buy into this role. He could hijack the offense with poor shot selection and struggle to remain engaged as an off-ball defender. With so much established talent, the shot selection aspect is especially a concern. If things go poorly, the Wolves could have another disappointing regular season and enter the playoffs without significant championship equity.
Thankfully, though, it looks like Finch and Kuminga are on the same wavelength about his role. When it's all said and done, this Finch-Kuminga connection could be a key factor that helps the Timberwolves reach their championship ceiling.
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