Jonathan Kuminga Drops 60 Points in Seattle Pro-Am: Biggest Takeaways

Image credit: Daniel Dunn, USA TODAY Sports

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga recently played with current teammate Gary Payton II in Jamal Crawford’s pro-am league in Seattle, the Crawsover. Kuminga put on a show with a jaw-dropping 60-point performance while showcasing a variety of new moves and highlight dunks. He looked fairly comfortable with the ball in his hands and even showed some improved decision-making out of the post and when double-teamed. However, one pro-am game can only show so much. Despite the 60-point performance getting national attention (and rightfully so), this wasn’t an NBA-level game. The Crawsover allowed Kuminga and GP2 to play how they wanted, and Kuminga got an isolation opportunity almost every time his team had possession. That’s not going to happen come time for the NBA season, but the improved ball handling and decision-making should be skills that Kuminga can carry over to the Warriors in 2024.

Last season the rebounding and off-ball defense appeared to be the two main reasons Kuminga didn’t play in the 2023 playoffs, despite being a staple rotation player in the regular season. It had nothing to do with his offensive arsenal, as his decision-making and three-point shooting improved tremendously throughout the season. His perimeter defense also saw considerable development, but it wasn’t enough to warrant a consistent playoff role. This begs the question: has Kuminga shown enough improvements at the Crawsover to guarantee an eventual playoff role in 2024?

Unfortunately, the answer to that question won’t be known until next April, but 60 points at any level of basketball demonstrates proficiency and skill that not many players may ever reach. Maybe that will be enough of an indicator to suggest Kuminga is ready to take the next jump. Still, in this Crawsover pro-am game, there weren’t many defensive or rebounding highlights from Kuminga to suggest that he made advancements in those areas. The Crawsover is more about putting on a show for the fans, so defense and rebounding aren’t really the things fans are paying much attention to. While it’s unclear whether Kuminga improved his off-ball defense and rebounding, he has clearly gotten much more comfortable as a shot-creator and playmaker out of the post, which should be enough to earn a full-time spot in the Warriors’ regular rotation. This 60-point performance may only be a preview of things to come for Kuminga, but only time will tell whether he is a staple in the Warriors’ future or a young asset for a blockbuster trade.