Jonathan Cuminga was a Golden State Warriors player and had a lot of debate as he struggled for a few minutes in the playoffs.
But whenever he came to the floor, Jonathan Cuminga proved he could be a reliable option on any team.
The 22-year-old had over 20 in three of the five games he played in the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
These are impressive numbers for players who have been out of rotation in several games in the playoffs.
Cuminga’s statistics in the conference semis proved that Steve Kerr might have been wrong about him, but the championship-winning coach praised him for choosing his performance and patience.
The Golden State Warriors are expected to have a busy offseason, with trade expected to be made, and Cuminga is also one of the names that will become available.
Nichols believes that despite growing frustrations surrounding Kuminga’s minutes, players have done enough to increase their signing and value in the trade market.
Kendrick Perkins had denounced Kuminga for his performance in the series with the Houston Rockets, but he has since improved and posted some big numbers.
She said: “We all said, ‘What’s going on behind the scenes?” Is there anything more here, that’s it, you’ve devalued your own assets.
“And obviously, it was for the benefit of the victory, but now that he’s taken the material out of that starting lineup, he shows he can still play basketball,” Nichols said.
“I think it really hypes the trade market for him and shows that (in Golden State) Fit is Jonathan Cuminga’s problem.” He clearly won’t turn into a completely different player, but he has a team that he can thrive more, and the series has shown he’s injured.
“And I think it can be exchanged for a bit of Kuminga signed and exchanged to make a little more profit than going into this final series, so I think it will help them get around what they should do.”
Cuminga was incredible for the Warriors at the start of the season, but his performance and minutes began to fall after an All-Star break.
He averaged 15.3 ppg in the regular season, but had DNP in four games against the Houston Rockets in the first round.
The Warriors were spinning, but Steph Curry’s injury meant Kuminga would be slotted into the lineup.
He had a 30-point game. This also included a highlight moment for Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who Kuminga dunked the ball to him.
His future with the dub may be over, but the other team Kuminga have all the qualities to become a roster star.
