The Atlanta Hawks have positioned Jonathan Kuminga to make the type of impact that he was confident he could've made with the Golden State Warriors. For better or worse, he's found himself in an essential role as the Hawks' most prolific bench scorer and arguably its most promising forward in that same department.
With postseason matchups that are destined to challenge the Hawks to generate offense from the second unit and wing positions, Kuminga has thus become the ultimate postseason X-Factor.
If the 2025-26 regular season were to end today, the Hawks would encounter the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. If Atlanta loses ground, then its most likely matchups would be either the New York Knicks as the No. 6 seed or the Boston Celtics or Detroit Pistons through the Play-In Tournament.
In every one of those potential series, the Hawks will need to answer a pivotal question: Can they generate the necessary wing offense to either exploit an advantage or match an opponent's strength?
Cleveland and Detroit have All-Stars in the backcourt and down low, but have questions marks at the 3-spot. Boston and New York, meanwhile, have two of the strongest collections of wings in the NBA, headlined by the likes of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum.
Though Jalen Johnson is one of the best forwards in the NBA, his responsibility as a playmaker calls for support in the scoring department. That's where Kuminga comes in.
Hawks need bench and wing scoring. Enter Jonathan Kuminga.
Clearly, the likes of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, and CJ McCollum are capable scorers and playmakers in their own right. McCollum is 6'3", however, and while Daniels is listed at 6'7", he's far more of a facilitator than a scorer at this stage.
Alexander-Walker, a 6'5" scoring guard, could thus check this box, but there's still a size disparity in certain matchups that puts Atlanta in the position of needing a taller wing to put points on the board.
Thankfully, Kuminga has the size, skill level, and history to swing momentum in Atlanta's favor. He's listed at 6'7" and 225 pounds, and plays even bigger than he is with the power, athleticism, and slashing ability to keep defenses on their heels and allow playmakers to pursue avenues above the rim.
Compounded by the flashes of brilliance he's displayed as an isolation defender, the Hawks can turn a question mark into a strength if Kuminga steps up.
Jonathan Kuminga has a history of going off in the playoffs
With Kuminga in high-quality form, the Hawks would have the defense, scoring depth, and wing quality to compete with anyone in the Eastern Conference. If he struggles, however, then Atlanta will be forced to overburden its starting lineup and perhaps even its guards.
That's evident in the fact that the Hawks rank No. 27 in bench points per game over their past 15 outings, as well as No. 17 on the season in points via forward reserves.
The good news is that Kuminga is a proven scorer in both regular season and postseason settings. He boasts career averages of 12.4 points per game and 20.3 points per 36 minutes during the regular season, and averaged 15.3 points per game during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
After struggling to find minutes for most of the 2025 postseason, Kuminga stepped up with 18 points in Game 2 of the second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves and dropped at least 23 points in each of the three games that followed.
It's an extraordinary amount of pressure for a new addition to shoulder, but if Kuminga can rediscover that form, the Hawks can compete with anyone.