Jonathan Kuminga has been storied for a while as many fans know the stories of Kuminga walking miles in the Congo to find the nearest basketball court. After coming to the United States and playing High School ball, Kuminga played a season in the G-League Bubble. But, how does Kuminga rank as a prospect?
1. Body and Athleticism – 6’8, 220lbs, 6’11″ Wingspan
Jonathan Kuminga is physically gifted as he has the body of an NBA veteran. At 6’8 and 220lbs, he is built like a bull. Kuminga is very strong and dominates players. Despite his size, Kuminga is agile and light on his feet. Kuminga doesn’t seem to have any athletic weaknesses.
2. Scoring- 15.8 PPG, 39% FG, 25% 3FG
Kuminga can exploit any player guarding him due to his size. Kuminga’s agility allows him to easily get into the paint making him a strong slasher. He can finish with both hands with contact and has soft touch. Kuminga has the post moves of an NBA veteran with his impressive pivot game and large step-throughs. Most of Kuminga’s points came from half-court at an 83.7% rate.
To take the next step, Kuminga needs to learn to play better and score in transition. Shooting-wise, one of Kuminga’s biggest struggles is his shooting. His shot is slow and unbalanced, which has caused his efficiency to be poor. It is going to take him a while to become a reliable shooter both off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot situations.
Off the ball, Kuminga moves well but he needs to move more as at times he seems stagnant. Kuminga also needs to become more efficient to become a more effective scorer as shooting below average from both the field and the three-point line won’t cut it in today’s NBA. Kuminga can finish well and if he can transform his shot, he can be a versatile scoring forward.
3. Playmaking – 2.7 APG and 2.6 TOV
Kuminga is not a gifted playmaker but slashing wings usually develop a passing game as they progress. In the G-League bubble, Kuminga did a good job reading the defense and finding the open man. When attracting double teams, he is great at finding who is open. In transition, he likes to dish it off to the bigs. Naturally, he does miss kickouts. Ball handling-wise, he is a bit stiff and robotic. Kuminga averaged a lot of turnovers as well at 2.6 a game. As the season progressed, these turnovers became more frequent. Kuminga should develop some sort of playmaking game as he progresses but he needs to cut down on turnovers and grow as a ball-handler.
4. Defense and Rebounding – 7.2 TRB, 1.0 STL, and 0.8 BLK
This is where Kuminga shines. Kuminga is a gifted defender and the best wing defender in the class. His frame combined with his pure athleticism allows him to guard any position. Kuminga gives 110% on the defensive end and always plays with extreme tenacity. He can pick up anyone full court. His only weakness on defense is he tends to stay in the paint for long amounts of time. Other than that teams are getting elite defense from Kuminga.
5. Comparison(s)
Young Jaylen Brown: Both are coming/came into the league as wing defenders with raw offensive games
Projection: Kuminga is a safe pick as he has a body as an NBA veteran. Teams will bank on Kuminga developing his shooting and playmaking abilities. At his worst, Kuminga could be a defensive bench guy. But, his ceiling makes him a worthy top-5 lottery pick this year, as he can develop into a top fifteen player in the league with potentially incredible two-way abilities.
Photo: Bleacher Report
