The Warriors imagine themselves to be title contenders.
They’ll level to their stars — Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Inexperienced. They’ll level to how nice they have been on protection as soon as that trio was put collectively final yr. They’ll level to their general depth, which is pretty much as good because it’s been in practically a decade. They’ll level to their prodigious expertise that no workforce within the NBA can come near matching.
And now they’ll level to how they performed of their 2025-26 season debut towards the Lakers.
That, of us, is an effective basketball workforce. A workforce that, if luck goes their approach, calls for to be reckoned with come the spring.
And if Jonathan Kuminga performs like he did in Sport 1 within the video games to come back between now and the NBA’s commerce deadline on Feb. 5, effectively, he’ll nonetheless be in blue and gold for that spring swing.
Misplaced amid the nonsense and ridiculousness that was Kuminga’s contract negotiations this summer season was the chance {that a} participant who simply turned 23 years outdated may truly determine what it takes to essentially play — and receives a commission — within the NBA; the prospect that Kuminga may lastly “get it.”
That risk seems to be prefer it’s coming into focus. A powerful preseason hinted at it, and Sport 1 amplified it.
Kuminga had 17 factors, 9 rebounds, six assists, and a steal within the Warriors’ 119-109 season-opening win. He had solely two turnovers and performed loads of one-on-one protection towards Luka Dončić, delivering a strong defensive shift and choosing up solely two fouls.
Kuminga has stated that he spent his offseason making an attempt to be the Warriors’ “X-Factor” this season — the type of tertiary participant whose profitable performs take good groups and make them nice. Warriors coach Steve Kerr has informed practically everybody within the league that he needs Kuminga to copy Shawn Marion’s recreation
One recreation doesn’t a season make, however Kuminga was definitely the X-Issue on Tuesday. He appeared an terrible lot just like the Matrix.
It’s sufficient to make you surprise in the event you’re in an alternate actuality.
As a result of with Kuminga embracing his position, the Warriors, in flip, appeared not identical to an excellent workforce in a loaded Western Convention, however a squad eager to keep up that 27-8 tempo with Butler, Curry, and Inexperienced enjoying. (Try this this season, and the Dubs are good for greater than 60 wins.)
“He was incredible tonight and I want to make sure he knows it,” Inexperienced stated. “We all can ask for opportunities, but you ask for opportunity, you must deliver. He’s been very vocal… he delivered.”
Certainly, and also you’d be hard-pressed to say that Kuminga’s robust evening wasn’t some hot-shooting fluke the place he caught fireplace from deep or racked up some low cost factors on the expense of the offense.
No, this was an entire, all-around participant flexing his muscular tissues and imposing his will.
He performed 33 minutes on Tuesday as a result of he positively affected profitable when he was on the courtroom.
And no play higher epitomized this presumably new, maybe even humbled Kuminga than his offensive rebound with one minute to play within the recreation.
In a 114-107 recreation, Butler missed an above-the-break 3-pointer. The Lakers thought they have been going to get the ball, push it in down the courtroom for a simple layup — Luka had already leaked out and was unguarded — and make it a ballgame once more.
And for that break up second the ball hung within the air after the back-of-the-rim miss, the Lakers have been justified in that thought. In spite of everything, that they had a 7-footer in DeAndre Ayton and an influence ahead, Rui Hachimura, in place to select up the rebound.
However then, out of nowhere, got here Kuminga. Breaking in from the right-wing nook, Kuminga flashed into the lane and rose an estimated 15 ft into the air (you possibly can’t disprove it) to grab the rebound.
Three passes later, Curry ended the sport with a 35-foot 3-pointer.
Sport over.
“That rebound was what everyone in the world has been waiting to see,” Inexperienced stated. “Those are game-winning plays.”
It’s the type of play that Kuminga all the time might make, however he not often did make.
And maybe Tuesday was only a one-off, however that’s not what the Dubs predict.
No, they see a brand new, improved Kuminga and so they’re large followers.
“He’s really, really matured, you know, he’s had a great camp. We’ve had some really good conversations, I think he has a better understanding of what we need,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr stated after the win. “We saw in the first half, he took a couple of tough mid-range fadeaways that we don’t want. He immediately held up his hand. He realized, you know, that was not the shot.”
“I believe he simply has a greater sense of what’s wanted, now, in comparison with previous years.
“You gotta remember he just turned 23, you know. [He] came to us, basically, as like a freshman in college… For him, it hasn’t been easy to find minutes on our team and I’m really proud of them for staying with it and really maturing and it’s a great start for him and for us.”
This was the Kuminga that even his greatest detractors needed to acknowledge existed someplace.
That is the man who spent the offseason getting a brutal, clear-eyed actuality verify. Whereas his agent was promoting his potential, the remainder of the NBA — even probably the most enamored — put Kuminga in his place. The Warriors refused to present in to his contract calls for. The Kings and Suns may need given him the cash, however they weren’t going to surrender what the Warriors wanted (which was a good ask) in a sign-and-trade.
The message couldn’t have been clearer: We predict you might be nice, however you’re not there but.
In the meantime, position gamers all around the league — guys who don’t have the athleticism or perceived upside of Kuminga — have been being paid large cash with lengthy phrases.
Their groups thought they couldn’t stay with out them.
The Warriors signed Kuminga to a contract that informed him the precise reverse. That deal is begging to be traded.
It was time to place up or shut up for the ahead.
And Kuminga made a brand new assertion on Tuesday: Problem accepted.
