Other than the 2022-23 season, when he shot 37.0 percent from beyond the arc, Jonathan Kuminga has been a below-average 3-point shooter in his NBA career. He has never shot better than 33.6 percent in his other four seasons. Despite that, Kuminga has mostly been an efficient scorer.
That’s because he has been quite accurate on his 2-point attempts, especially at the rim. In the last two seasons, though, that accuracy has lessened.
Now preparing for his first year with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kuminga's new team would love for him to reach the scoring efficiency he did during his first three seasons. With the team looking to push the pace, Kuminga is on the right team to let him do so.
Kuminga is primed to have better scoring efficiency this season
Kuminga was just 19 when he first entered the league as the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Even as a youngster, he shot over 50 percent from the field each of his first three years.
The last two years have been a different story for Kuminga. The 6-foot-7 forward shot 45.4 percent in 2024-25 and 46.3 percent in 2025-26. Part of that is that he’s attempting more triples, but his 3-point rate hasn’t increased much.
Since 2024-25, Kuminga has made 51.3 percent of his two-point attempts, compared to 58.6 percent in his first three years. That is a rather stark difference.
Kuminga really dropped off at the rim last season. Kuminga entered last year making 73.4 percent of his attempts within three feet of the rim, but that dipped to 60.9 percent in 2025-26.
Minnesota can allow Kuminga to get that rim percentage back to its prior level. The Timberwolves will look to run, and as long as Kuminga runs with them, he should see at least a couple of easy baskets each outing. The Wolves' free-flowing offense and LaMelo Ball's playmaking could also help LaMelo Ball.
The Wolves have seen what Kuminga can do at the rim. Facing the Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals in 2025, Kuminga was thrust into a larger role after Stephen Curry got injured in Game 1. During Games 2-5, Kuminga did a great job finishing close to the hoop, and it helped lead to games with 18, 30, 23, and 26 points.
Of course, the Timberwolves would love to see Kuminga become more accurate from deep. That may never happen in his career, though. There’s more evidence that Kuminga can finish at the rim, and the Wolves will give him the chance to play to his strengths.
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