There's some understandable skepticism about Jonathan Kuminga's fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves—specifically regarding his ability to adjust to a scaled-down role. Kuminga skeptics point to how Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors constantly preached the importance of becoming a complementary role player, and that he never embraced this role.
However, between Kuminga being on a prove-it deal, his fit in the Wolves' system, and more overall respect from the organization, I think we'll see a different (and better) version of Kuminga.
Why Jonathan Kuminga needs to be a complementary player
Before I further discuss the previously mentioned elements, I want to touch on why it's so important for Kuminga to buy into a complementary role. The reality is that Kuminga does offer some self-creation juice. He isn't a good (or efficient) enough shot creator to justify a high-usage role, especially on a Wolves team with plenty of established talent, led by Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, and Jaden McDaniels.
Where Kuminga would thrive, though, is as an athletic play-finisher and physical defender à la Aaron Gordon. Kuminga needs to show more engagement off the ball. Still, he's a quality on-ball defender.
If Kuminga can buy into not having the ball in his hands as much and show some more defensive engagement, he could be a special complementary forward. Likewise, this is his best path to earning a bigger contract.
Kuminga's prove-it deal leaves him with no choice
Speaking of his contract, Kuminga being on a two-year, $12.4 million deal with a player option after one season means he needs to prove himself. This free agency and being on his third team now should force Kuminga to realize that his path to a big contract is being an awesome role player, not a star. He needs to realize that he's walking into a team with established talent, and that he's not going to be a focal point.
If he can accept this and thrive in a "lesser" role, then a big contract will be on his way next summer. Considering that offense was reportedly secondary to Kuminga's decision, there's some evidence to suggest he'll embrace this role. Plus, he turned down more money to sign with the Wolves. He clearly wants to contribute to winning.
I can understand some of the doubts about him accepting this after the Warriors experience. contract. Still, I hold out hope that a change of scenery could help, and that even though it didn't work out in Golden State, Minnesota could be different, especially since this could be his best chance to earn a big contract.
Kuminga wasn't a fit in the Warriors system
Another factor that has to be considered with Kuminga's admittedly messy tenure with the Warriors is that he never fit with their system. The Warriors' offense is predicated on intricate actions and players of all positions making complex reads. This was a poor fit for Kuminga, as it forced him into a playmaking role far too often, specifically during split action sets to help create open shots for Steph Curry.
Kuminga's game is centered around his athletic gifts, not high-feel. He was simply never going to excel in Golden State. Similarly, the Warriors ranked bottom three in transition frequency in two of the past three seasons. Kuminga's athletic gifts make him a force in transition. Fortunately, though, the Wolves pushed the pace at a higher rate last season, cracking the top-10 in both transition frequency and pace. This trend is primed to continue with Kuminga and Ball in the mix.
Going back to my original point, Chris Finch's offense is much more free-flowing. This puts Kuminga in a spot to succeed as a pure play-finisher. And LaMelo should help get the best out of this part of his skill set. Conversely, the Warriors forced Kuminga to make decisions with the ball in his hands. Even if they wanted him to be a complementary player, their system didn't lend itself to Kuminga being the type of complementary player that he's meant to be.
Thankfully, it'll be a different story in the Wolves' system.
Kuminga's relationship with the Timberwolves organization could help
Finally, I want to discuss how important it is that Kuminga feels connected to the Wolves' organization. You can blame Kuminga all you want for how his Warriors tenure played out. But never feeling embraced or valued by Kerr was a clear factor. Kerr constantly yanked Kuminga's minutes around and, frankly, rarely publicly expressed confidence in him. This made Kerr's message fall on deaf ears.
During his introductory press conference, Kuminga spoke about the conversations that he had with players and members of the organization before signing with the Wolves.
“I think me and Melo and Ant spoke pretty much every day, especially Ant," Kuminga said. "He called me every single time; he would check up on me, and he’s a very, very genuine person. He didn’t have to do that… we had so many great conversations, and not just about basketball, about kids, life, things you wouldn’t even think about, fishing, stuff like that… Them wanting me to be here, it felt real, and they’re very genuine people, people you can sit down with and have a conversation... Making that decision was very easy after talking to Alonzo (Gee), and Tim (Connelly), and the rest of the guys."
Kuminga also had discussions with Finch. The point is that he is already building a connection with the team. Sometimes the messenger matters just as much as the message. The Wolves' message might be the same as the Warriors', but since he trusts the coach and organization more, this could be a difference-maker.
All of this is to say that we could see a far different version of Kuminga this season, and that's a tantalizing thought.
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