Jonathan Kuminga spent the better part of five seasons trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. His preferred style of play and development as a player never seemed to truly coincide with what the Golden State Warriors wanted him to be, and many ultimately blamed the player for their differences.
What the Atlanta Hawks have proven in just two games with Kuminga, however, is that he has the ability to make a positive impact if his team is willing to try and understand him.
It's too soon to make any long-term projections, but short-term results are worth evaluating nevertheless. Kuminga has certainly impressed in the present, posting 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 24 minutes during his eye-opening Hawks debut.
Two days later, Kuminga started, played 30 minutes, and recorded 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal in a second straight Hawks win.
In his first game with the Hawks, Kuminga played his most minutes since Nov. 7. In his second, he reached 30 minutes for the first time since Nov. 5. And yet, that only scratches the surface of the differences between his Atlanta and Golden State tenures.
The true separating factors are how Kuminga is being utilized in an off-ball role, how he's being empowered with the ball in his hands, and how his head coach is speaking about him to the media.
Hawks embracing Jonathan Kuminga's strengths, offering positive reinforcement
One of the turning points in Golden State's Kuminga saga was when head coach Steve Kerr publicly spoke about the up-and-comer's fit with the team. The 2024-25 season was already a difficult campaign, with Kuminga's scoring failing to convince the coaching staff to feature him prominently in the rotation.
Kerr told Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard in May of 2025 that Kuminga is "gifted," but noted that "he’s not a guy who I can say I’m going to play 38 minutes with the roster that we have—Steph and Jimmy and Draymond—and put the puzzle together that way and expect to win."
For a young player coming off of a challenging fourth season, having their head coach publicly question their fit with the team couldn't have been easy. Fast forward to 2026, however, and Hawks head coach Quin Snyder has taken a completely different approach.
Though it's still early in their partnership, Snyder has already publicly praised Kuminga for his maturity and expressed intrigue over what Kuminga can offer as a facilitator—a skill the Warriors never thoroughly explored.
Hawks positioning Jonathan Kuminga to figure out who he is as a player
It must be refreshing for Kuminga to be on the receiving end of praise rather than constantly hearing that he doesn't fit his team's ideology. It's likely even more rewarding to be on the court and play a role that ideally suits his strengths and weaknesses.
An example of how different things have already been is that he's averaging 32.5 front court touches through two games with the Hawks after receiving 25.4 with the Warriors.
Beyond the numbers, Kuminga is playing an active role in the offensive sets that Atlanta is running. He's not being stationed along the three-point line, but is moving freely around the court, catching passes near the rim, receiving encouragement to drive instead of being held to the primary standard of spotting up, and even showcasing his value as a rebounder and passer.
Patience must continue to be preached at a time like this, but Kuminga receiving a chance to explore his potential by having his strengths highlighted and developed is a refreshing development.