Generally speaking, the Minnesota Timberwolves signed Jonathan Kuminga to have a starting power forward. One of the specific problems that adding Kuminga solved was their ability to defend against forwards.
Before signing Kuminga, it was unclear who would guard these big, physical forwards. It would likely have been Jaden McDaniels or Terrence Shannon Jr. However, guarding forwards is neither player's specialty. As such, signing Kuminga was a vital move for the Wolves.
Three games into the season, we are already seeing Kuminga's value as a forward stopper (among other things, the guy has been fantastic so far).
The Timberwolves are 3-0 against three teams with physical frontcourts: the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Toronto Raptors. Undoubtedly, Kuminga's defense has been a factor in the Wolves' success.
Jonathan Kuminga's defense has been stellar
So far, Kuminga has guarded Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, and Scottie Barnes. Despite this group of All-Star forwards (a superstar in Giannis' case), Kuminga is holding opposing players to 40.9 percent from the field. And yes, Giannis erupted for 35 points, but Kuminga's physicality bothered him and prevented him from having a bigger game.
Kuminga was unequivocally awesome against Paolo and Barnes, though. His defense against Barnes was where his impact was most felt.
During Sunday's game, Barnes shot 0-for-12 from the field. Kuminga's physicality and athleticism made it hard for Barnes to get to his spots. In fairness, most of Barnes' shots didn't come against Kuminga, but he spent more time guarding him than anyone else. And during these possessions, Barnes didn't want to attack Kuminga.
Having Kuminga guard these All-Star-level forwards is helping the Wolves' defense reach another level. In fact, they have the league's best defensive rating so far. Kuminga gives the Wolves a different element from past defenses.
Julius Randle was the Wolves' option against physical forwards in the past two seasons, and Karl-Anthony Towns was before that. Both of these players have ample strength, but Kuminga is quicker and more athletic. That makes him better suited to guard star forwards who are creation threats.
Kuminga also enables McDaniels to stay at the point of attack where he thrives. As noted, if they hadn't signed him, McDaniels might have been tasked with this role, which could be an issue due to his strength.
Now, we haven't seen the Timberwolves play against a team with a perimeter star (that will change on Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers). Regardless, with how Kuminga is playing, I wonder if he will take on these star perimeter players as well.
At the surface level, he's best served against forwards at 6-foot-7, 225 pounds. Kuminga has more than enough agility to hold up on the perimeter, though. Furthermore, a POA stopper with Kuminga's size and length would be incredibly disruptive.
Of course, McDaniels thrives in this role, but as he takes on more offensive duties, it could be beneficial to have him take on easier matchups. McDaniels can also wreak havoc as a defensive playmaker. It'll be worth monitoring to see whether Kuminga also guards more perimeter players.
In any case, Kuminga has quickly proven his value as a forward stopper, and the Timberwolves will continue to reap the benefits of his skill set.
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