Ahead of the 2025-26 season, Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga expressed his desire to be an important part of the team’s system. Over the past four years, Kuminga hasn’t reached his true potential. It was one of the reasons why he wanted to move on from the organization during the offseason. However, the player’s role as a focal point of a system was the primary focus of the contract dispute between the organization and the player.
In the upcoming season, there’s an expectation from the group that the 23-year-old forward will be helpful. He’s not the finest outside shooter, but in recent years, he’s shown a lot of promise, particularly in terms of his athleticism.
By adding veteran big man Al Horford, head coach Steve Kerr thinks this will be the year that Kuminga will display notable growth. Horford’s ability to share the basketball and stretch the defense will allow the young forward to attack the basket with his energy on the drive.
“I mean, that’s part of the reason that JK hasn’t played as much as he has wanted to because it’s been tougher to find, you know, a lot of combinations that click… “And, you know, because of the idea that you need shooting in the modern NBA, a Space five could be something that really helps him,” Kerr said.
In the past, the Golden State opened the floor for Kuminga since their big man at that time, Kevon Looney, wasn’t a threat outside. Being a non-shooter, Looney’s defenders tend to clog up the paint, leaving the Warriors forward with no choice but to camp outside the 3-point arc.
Michael Malone believes having Al Horford in the Warriors is a perfect match
Fans witnessed the Warriors’ appearance with Horford on Sunday. The big man showcased his intelligent passing, defense and IQ, which helped them secure a 111-103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in their first preseason game.
Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone loved seeing how Horford fit well with the team. On Sunday’s episode of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown,” Malone spoke highly of the five-time All-Star’s reliability from beyond the arc.
“They’ve added a proficient 3-point shooting big man,” Malone said. “Champion, high character, culture— they haven’t had this spacing, 1 through 5, in a long time.”
“The number of wide-open shots that he’s going to get is going to spread out their offense and make a really tough offensive team to guard even that much harder.”
The signing of Horford has been nothing but positive for Golden State, as they try to contend for the championship.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
