Jonathan Kuminga's fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves was heavily questioned during the offseason. Many worried that Kuminga would hijack the offense with his affinity for difficult shotmaking. In fairness, we saw him struggle to adjust to a complementary role with the Golden State Warriors.
So far, though, Kuminga has been fantastic—he's embraced a low-usage play-finisher role on offense while providing elite defense. LaMelo Ball's playmaking is a big reason for Kuminga's offensive success and speedy acclimation process. His playmaking has directly given Kuminga easy looks both around the rim and from the perimeter. Ball has also created advantages for Kuminga to attack with his offensive gravity.
Simply put, the pairing has been perfect, and Ball has helped make Kuminga's offensive fit seamless.
Jonathan Kuminga is benefiting from playing alongside LaMelo Ball
There have been some nice moments between Ball and Kuminga throughout the season. However, Thursday's 133-94 win over the Dallas Mavericks was the best example of the chemistry between Ball and Kuminga. Five of Ball's nine assists went to Kuminga.
We saw some of Kuminga cutting to the basket and Ball finding him, a nice spot-up 3-pointer, and some work in the pick-and-roll. Kuminga's athleticism and ability to run the floor make him a great fit alongside Ball, who thrives at pushing the pace and making quick reads. Honestly, I'd like to see a bit more of this two-man game (though it's hard to criticize the Wolves' offense right now).
In any event, it's clear that Kuminga is benefiting from Ball's presence.
Ball's passing off drives also creates open 3-pointers for Kuminga. This has led to Kuminga shooting a career-best 40.4 percent from beyond the arc. In addition to concerns about his shot selection, there were valid worries regarding his fit as a spacer alongside Rudy Gobert. LaMelo has helped erase those concerns.
Furthermore, Ball's playmaking often creates a chain reaction, and he has a lot of hockey assists that benefit Kuminga. LaMelo is constantly thinking about how to get his teammates involved, which has benefited Kuminga. Ball has a great sense of when players need a shot, and he'll make sure to find them. This has helped balance out the Wolves' usage puzzle, ensuring ample involvement from everyone, including Kuminga.
As noted earlier, it's not just Ball's passing that makes life easier for Kuminga—it's his overall gravity. Teams are so focused on taking away Ball as a scorer and 3-point shooter that it opens up opportunities for the rest of the team. Whether it's opening up space for Kuminga to cut or defenses leaving him open from 3-point range, he is getting easier shots thanks to LaMelo.
Kuminga deserves a ton of credit for buying into his role and being an awesome complementary piece. Still, there's no denying that LaMelo has made this process much smoother.
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