A consensus five-star recruit out of high school, Kuminga decided to take his talents to the G League, but his performance with Ignite did not help his draft stock. In early February, he was considered a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He fell out of contention for the top spot by the end of March, and last week, he was taken seventh overall by the Warriors. Golden State not only selected a young player with a great deal of upside, but also added needed size and athleticism to its frontcourt.
A 6-foot-8 forward with a plus-4 wingspan, Kuminga certainly looks the part, featuring a sturdy and muscular frame. In addition to his size, he has an impressive combination of power, athleticism, and skill. However, the 18-year-old was plagued by inconsistency and inefficiency with Ignite, and most of his stats were not pretty.
| Position: | Forward | Team/Class: | G League Ignite |
| Birthday: | 10/06/2002 | Nationality: | Congo |
| Height: | 6’8’’ | Weight: | 210 |
| Wingspan: | 7’0’’ | Vertical: | – |
| Shot Hand: | Right | Stats: | Click here |
At times, it appears that Kuminga can do it all, on both ends of the court; at other times, he looks like a prospect that is nowhere near being ready for the NBA. He is not shy about shooting, flashes an impressive handle for his size, and can make a variety of shots off the bounce. He is explosive going to the rim, and can finish effectively with either hand. The 18-year-old also shows a great deal of potential as a playmaker, displaying surprising vision and skill as a passer. At the same time, the youngster often struggles when putting the ball on the floor in the half court, frequently driving into trouble and taking wild shots. As a jumper shooter, his mechanics do not look bad; he looks a bit stiff at times, and he tends to unnecessarily fall away.
On the defensive end, it’s a similar story — highly inconsistent. At times, Kuminga plays a bit out of control, biting on fakes, closing out too hard, and leaving his feet too much. And at other times, he plays too far off the ball, and doesn’t challenge shots that he should. Inconsistent awareness and effort, plus a lack of experience, all hinder him, and he is not the most fluid in terms of changing direction, which compounds matters. On the plus side, his size and athleticism give him the potential to effectively guard multiple positions and make a lot of impact plays on the defensive end.
Strengths
- Impressive combination of size, strength, and athleticism
- Flashes offensive skill as a both on- and off-ball scorer; averaged 15.9 points per game (32nd in the G League)
- Good playmaker for his size; including passes, ranked at the 91st percentile for PPP as a pick-and-roll handler and at the 62nd percentile in isolation
- Runs the floor well
- Flashes defensive upside; averaged a modest 2.3 combined steals and blocks per 40 minutes
- Has pro-level experience and plenty of time to improve
Weaknesses
- Poor shot selection and a loose handle lead to very poor efficiency:
- Poor shooting splits (.387/.246/.625)
- Had a turnover percentage of 14.1 (112th in the G League)
- Ranked at the 19th percentile for overall PPP
- Ranked below 24th percentile for PPP via transition, isolation, post-ups, and spot-ups
- Ranked at the 31st percentile for PPP around the basket in the half court
- Ranked at the 16th percentile for PPP on all half-court jumpers
- Lacks awareness, effort, and experience on defense, and not the most fluid player in the hips; ranked at the 18th percentile for overall PPP allowed
- Solid rebounder, but not elite; averaged 7.2 rebounds per game with a rebound percentage of 11.6 (65th in the G League)
Sources, Credits, and Acknowledgements
Stats used in our scouting reports come from Synergy Sports Technology, RealGM.com, and Sports-Reference.com. Other outside sources are noted with links to the source. Click here to see the statistical abbreviation key.
