Jonathan Kuminga spent the better part of five polarizing seasons with the Golden State Warriors. Whether viewers expressed the belief that he needed to show more buy-in to secure more minutes or that Steve Kerr never truly empowered Kuminga to succeed, opinions were passionately divided.
It hasn't taken long for Kuminga to show Golden State what they failed to see, with Hawks teammate CJ McCollum boldly taking to a public platform to acknowledge exactly that.
Kuminga has been an essential contributor during the Hawks' postseason success. He not only thrived statistically, but played all 12 minutes during the fourth quarter of Atlanta's Game 3 and Game 4 wins—both of which were decided by a single point.
Following the Hawks' Game 3 win, McCollum spoke candidly about Kuminga's offensive and defensive value, as well as how a change of scenery has enabled him to prosper.
CJ McCollum on Jonathan Kuminga: “He has championship DNA coming from the Warriors. The athleticism is off the charts. He’s got a mid-range. He knows how to post up, screen, and defensively, he can guard 1-5. He was in a not so great situation and now he's found a happy home.” pic.twitter.com/xvGetEdbLn
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) April 24, 2026
Kuminga's Warriors career was difficult to pin on any one factor, but there's no way around how poor of a fit Golden State was during his formative NBA years.
CJ McCollum praises Jonathan Kuminga, talks "not so great situation" with GSW
Kuminga, who's still just 23 years of age, began the postseason with eight points and four rebounds in 27 minutes. He then stepped up with a massive Game 2, going off to the tune of 19 points, four rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block in 35 colossal minutes.
Kuminga then turned in 21 points, four rebounds, one block, and the game-winning steal, playing 28 pivotal minutes as the Hawks took a 2-1 lead.
In less than half of a season, Kuminga has not only found a way to put up meaningful numbers, but play essential minutes. He's spent a grand total of zero seconds on the bench during the fourth quarters of Atlanta's past two wins and has clearly earned the trust of his teammates and coaches.
It's a far cry from the experience he had with the Warriors, when he received an alarming number of healthy scratches from the rotation.
Thankfully, the in-season trade to Atlanta has given Kuminga a chance to prove his upside with ample time to develop. He's still one of the younger players on the roster and has been positioned to play to his strengths rather than exclusively having his weaknesses highlighted.
If recent games are a sign of things to come, then Kuminga's positive attributes will continue to play a pivotal role in the Hawks' success.
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