Jonathan Kuminga has proven to be an incredible fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves. His averages of 12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists don't jump off the screen. But eye-popping numbers were never the goal. Instead, the goal was always for Kuminga to thrive as a complementary forward. He's done exactly that, playing fantastic defense and giving the Wolves' offense a scoring punch while not taking away from Minnesota's stars.
Kuminga deserves credit for buying into this complementary role, and the Wolves deserve credit for their staunch belief in him. What can't be missed, though, is that the Wolves' system is a perfect fit for Kuminga's skill set. The same can't be said about his fit in the systems of his previous squads: the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks.
The key difference is that the Wolves' system is more free-flowing and less structured. Of course, they still run set plays, but the Wolves are less reliant on intricate plays than the Warriors and Hawks.
Furthermore, the Timberwolves are making it easier for Kuminga to adapt to a play-finisher role because of LaMelo Ball's superb playmaking. Relevantly, 77.8 percent of Kuminga's made field goals are assisted, which is a career-high number.
Why the Timberwolves' system is perfect for Jonathan Kuminga
The Warriors' offense relies on forwards making decisions as playmakers in high-post and split actions. This wasn't a good fit for Kuminga, and it made it harder for him to thrive in the role that the Warriors wanted him to play. Kuminga is a gifted athlete who moves well without the ball, runs the floor, and can punish mismatches.
As it turns out, Kuminga being counted on less as a playmaker in set action has led to the best assist numbers of his career. He has been a rock-solid connective playmaker, making good reads within the flow of the offense. Kuminga thrives at using his natural gifts to make intuitive plays as opposed to set plays with rigid structure.
On the set plays that Kuminga is involved in, they typically involve him as a roll-man, cutter, or simply a fallback play-finisher, not a decision-maker.
In addition to Kuminga being relied on too much as a playmaker, the Warriors didn't maximize his athleticism due to their apathy toward transition. The Wolves' faster system has also been a difference in this regard.
While the Hawks push the pace more, their sets are still pretty rigid. In fairness, Kuminga showed a lot more positive strides with the Hawks. Still, it clearly wasn't enough for them to want to keep him around.
One common thread between the Hawks and Warriors is that they operate their actions more from the wings and corners, often bunching players in the same areas. In turn, this limits what you can do as a north-south attacker, which is where Kuminga excels.
Conversely, the Timberwolves' actions often start at the top of the key, or they give Kuminga the space to attack the rim.
And while I've mainly focused on the offensive sets, the Wolves' defensive system has also benefited Kuminga. Chris Finch preaches an aggressive one-on-one style of defense (playing alongside Rudy Gobert helps), which matches Kuminga's skill set.
Kuminga has been a fantastic forward stopper who has also shown impressive defensive playmaking chops. Being in a system where he can lean more on his strengths has made his defense pop.
By all accounts, the Timberwolves' system has helped Kuminga thrive in this complementary role, and so far it looks like a perfect pairing.
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