The Minnesota Timberwolves have big expectations for this season, and the latest reason is the signing of Jonathan Kuminga. A rangy 6-foot-7, 225-pound athlete, Kuminga has the explosiveness and scoring ability to become another threat on the offensive end of the court, but the quickest way he may be able to contribute is by establishing himself on defense.
This was confirmed by Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, who said that Kuminga will be the favorite to start at power forward as the team approaches training camp. While he told MinnPost’s Britt Robson that the starting spot was “[Kuminga’s] to lose,” he also said that his defense will be a key factor in how long he keeps the job this season.
“The way that he wins it most rapidly is by solidifying our defense into [an elite unit], which we feel he has the capability to do,” Finch said. “...He is going to fit right in because he has the same problem we all have: He fouls too much. So let’s get that under control teamwide, which we haven’t been able to do. [But], I think the rebounding piece is important. I was just talking to him today: ‘If you rebound at a high level for us, it is going to be such a shot in the arm.’”
Jonathan Kuminga’s best asset to the Timberwolves could be his defense
The Wolves shouldn’t have many concerns that Kuminga can fit into their offense. Sure, he is a streaky scorer with poor shot selection and subpar outside shooting. But he makes up for it with his athleticism, which helps him get up and down the court and creates transition opportunities. Plus, he can create for himself and make difficult shots.
For as talented as Kuminga is on the offensive end, the Timberwolves are right to value his defense. Kuminga has been an average defender during his career, with a career defensive rating of 113.4 points per 100 possessions. A subtle improvement could also push him toward the elite defenders who normally come in with a defensive rating of 110.0 or below.
Kuminga was also solid on the ball last season, holding opponents to 47.7 percent shooting when he was the primary defender, according to NBA.com.
Still, the biggest value, as Finch alluded to, could be his rebounding. Kuminga’s career average of 4.2 rebounds per game doesn’t seem like much. But that number has improved in four of his five previous seasons, including a career-high 5.6 rebounds last season. In addition, Kuminga has a career average of 6.9 rebounds per 36 minutes and had 8.8 rebounds per 36 minutes last year.
The Timberwolves need Jonathan Kuminga to clean the glass immediately
The early stages of training camp will be interesting to see what the Wolves want out of Kuminga. But when it comes to the power forward spot, cleaning the glass would be a great start. While Minnesota created a more dynamic roster this summer, it came at the expense of Julius Randle (6.7 rebounds per game) and Naz Reid (6.2 rebounds).
With Randle off to the Brooklyn Nets and Reid off to the Charlotte Hornets, the Wolves traded away 13.9 rebounds per game last season on a team that ranked 13th in total rebounds (44.1 per game) and 17th in offensive rebounds (11.1 rpg) last season, giving Kuminga plenty of consequences if he can’t fill some of that gap.
On top of that, guarding athletic power forwards was a big question before Kuminga signed. While the Wolves could have tasked Jaden McDaniels with it, he’s better served guarding on the perimeter, leaving Kuminga to take on some of the bigger players who occupy the power forward spot this season.
Of course, the Wolves would love it if Kuminga fit into their offense immediately. But the defensive side is going to be important, as Finch and Anthony Edwards mentioned frequently during his recruitment process. If he crashes the glass and slows down opposing power forwards, Kuminga could be an early success, and his offense could give him even more upside as he gets more comfortable in Minnesota.
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