Jonathan Kuminga: jonathan kuminga took 24 minutes to prove Steve Kerr wrong
Jonathan Kuminga made his long-awaited Atlanta Hawks debut on Tuesday evening; jonathan kuminga instantly proved he deserved a second chance in the NBA. The fifth-year swingman put together a brief, explosive showing that followed a turbulent run with his former team.
Jonathan Kuminga's quick impact
Kuminga entered the Hawks game as the sixth man, checking in halfway through the first quarter. He logged an assist on his first possession, followed by an easy transition layup a minute later and an easy transition dunk yet another minute after that. By the end of the first quarter he had 7 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal.
Early career and Draymond Green
Kuminga arrived in Atlanta after a start to his career that some have described as unhelpful. Drafted seventh overall in 2021, he was part of a Finals-winning squad in his rookie season. Draymond Green said Kuminga had been dealt a poor hand to start his career. The article notes that playing alongside such a talented squad ultimately came back to haunt Kuminga because he never had the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them; as a G League Ignite product he remained relegated to a supporting role rather than being given a chance to experiment as a star.
Clash with Steve Kerr
After a successful third season in a limited role, Kuminga likely expected Warriors coach Steve Kerr to integrate him as a focal point of the offense, but this never occurred. The two clashed over 18 long months, with Kerr making multiple public comments at Kuminga's expense while Kuminga never returned to his third-year peak. Eventually, Kuminga was shipped to Atlanta for pennies on the dollar.
Debut game sequence and stats
In the second quarter Kuminga was quieter, grabbing two rebounds without recording a shot attempt. In the third quarter he went off: checking in at the halfway point of the quarter, the debutant racked up a quick 18 points, 2 rebounds and another steal. Overall, the burst in limited minutes — the sequence that amounted to roughly 24 minutes of game action in total — underscored why some view this as a fresh opportunity for Kuminga.
His Hawks debut on Tuesday evening combined the immediacy of a sixth-man spark with a reminder of the potential that followed him from Golden State. The sequence of events — draft position, rookie Finals ring, a constrained developmental arc, the public clashes with Steve Kerr over 18 long months, and the eventual trade for pennies on the dollar — frames the significance of this short but telling performance.
Closing the debut, Kuminga left a clear statistical footprint: early playmaking and finishing, a first-quarter line of 7 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal, two rebounds in a quieter second quarter without a shot attempt, and a third-quarter outburst of 18 points, 2 rebounds and another steal. Those numbers and the career arc that preceded them make this Hawks debut notable.
