Jonathan Kuminga spent the better part of his first five NBA seasons waiting for the Golden State Warriors to give him the green light. A talented and productive scorer with an impressive blend of size and athleticism, Kuminga managed to deliver on the rare night that his number was called but never truly factored into Golden State's preferred rotation.
With his Warriors career finally behind him, Kuminga is about to receive something from the Atlanta Hawks that Golden State never gave him: A green light that lasts.
The Warriors were reluctant to give Kuminga consistent minutes, touches, and shot attempts during his time with the team. Concerns existed in regard to his defensive inconsistency and erratic three-point shooting, which thus led to Golden State, which has built its core with aging veterans, ultimately choosing to prioritize his flaws over his developing strengths.
Thankfully, the Hawks appear entirely confident in Kuminga's ability to fit with the franchise and develop into the player they believe he can be.
In his first game with the Hawks, Kuminga went off to the tune of 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three offensive rebounds, two steals, and three three-point field goals made in 24 minutes. He shot 9-of-12 from the field, 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 6-of-7 at the free throw line.
With Jalen Johnson now dealing with a hip injury that could limit either his availability or his mobility, the door is more open than ever before for Kuminga to prove he can sustain his excellence.
Hawks giving Jonathan Kuminga the green light he was waiting for
Kuminga's monster debut unfortunately coincided with Johnson exiting the game with a hip injury. Johnson has since been listed as questionable for Atlanta's next game, with hope that he could overcome the ailment sooner than later.
Regardless of whether or not Johnson plays, Kuminga has already developed an intriguing rapport with his teammates and proven that he fits the system in place.
Kuminga offers a scoring punch at forward that the Hawks simply lack beyond Johnson. That's made him a valuable commodity both in isolation and as a contributor who can work within the pass-happy system that the team employs.
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder expressed how impressed he is with Kuminga's maturity and the connection he's already formed with his new teammates.
“Our playing with the pass is, as you’ve heard me say it since October, and he really demonstrated that right away. Even to the point where it’s okay to shoot, too. He let himself get in the game. Got connected with his teammates and just let the game come to him. Which I think shows a lot of maturity on his part and shows a lot of kind of how he feels about the group.”
That much was proven by the fact that Kuminga received 58 touches and 38 frontcourt touches during his Hawks debut. By comparison, he'd averaged 44.6 touches and 25.4 frontcourt touches per game with the Warriors in 2025-26.
Though one game and an injury that doesn't necessarily have a long-term absence attached to it may not signal the future, it certainly seems as though Kuminga is about to be unleashed in Atlanta.