It was exciting news for Minnesota Timberwolves fans when they found out that the team would be adding Jonathan Kuminga to their roster. They no longer have to wonder who will be Minnesota’s starting power forward on opening night.
There are reasons why Kuminga lingered on the free-agent market for so long, though, and why he didn’t get the contract he was originally hoping for. One of the main reasons is his rather inconsistent 3-point shot.
Hopefully, playing alongside LaMelo Ball help Kuminga in this regard?
His shooting hasn’t been much better when he’s left open
In his first five seasons, Kuminga has a career 3-point accuracy of 33.2 percent. That is essentially the same as the 33.3 percent he shot last season combined with the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks. Turning 24 years old on October 6, the 6-foot-7 forward has never attempted 3-pointers at a high volume during his career.
Kuminga is now in the starting lineup with Ball, another Wolves newcomer. Ball’s former team, the Charlotte Hornets, was one of the best teams at shooting from beyond the arc last season. They finished third in 3-point percentage (37.8 percent) while attempting the second-most 3-pointers (43.3 per game).
Now, the hope is that Ball can help create the open looks Kuminga needs to increase his 3-point accuracy. It wouldn’t help with spacing if opposing defenses don’t respect Kuminga’s outside shot enough, especially with one non-shooter, Rudy Gobert, also in the starting lineup.
It makes sense that Ball will allow Kuminga to see more open outside shots. The problem is that it hasn’t helped Kuminga shoot more accurately when there isn’t a defender near him.
On 3-point attempts where the closest defender was 4–6 feet away, Kuminga made 34.8 percent of his attempts last season. When no defender was within six feet, he shot only 30.9 percent.
That is pretty much how it has gone for Kuminga during his NBA career. He also hasn't shown an area where he can shoot 3-pointers more accurately, whether it is the left corner, right corner, or above the break.
Kuminga has already played much of his career with Steph Curry, someone who draws so much attention that he will give Kuminga plenty of open looks. Ball will let Kuminga continue to get those open outside shots.
Now it’s up to him to knock more of them down. Kuminga will be able to aid the Timberwolves in other areas in 2026-27, but it would be a boon for the team if he could shoot the 3-ball with any reliability.
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