There has been a lot of conversation about the next generation of players taking over the NBA. With superstars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, inching closer to the last stage of their careers, it’s time for the new generation to step up and carry the league on their shoulders. On a recent episode of The Draymond Green Show, the Warriors veteran discussed the topic of passing the baton to the next generation with former NBA star Danny Green.
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The 34-year-old stated that he has high expectations from players like Jonathan Kuminga as far as the future of the Dubs franchise is concerned.
Green is incredibly pleased by the way Kuminga has improved his game. He believes that the urge to improve shown by the youngsters will always be beneficial for the franchise in the long run. In addition to that, consistently improving will also allow the youngsters to gain more trust of the decision makers, such as the coaching staff.
As for Kuminga, Green can already see coach Steve Kerr allowing the 21-year-old to handle the ball more.
During the podcast, Green said, “I think what Kuminga end up learning and I commend him… You come in and you’re looking at like a Jalen Green or one of those guys in Houston… You know, they got in, they got the ball right away [and do what they do]. You look at that and you’re like, ‘Man, I want to show what I can do.'”
Even though Green appreciates the confidence and understands the sentiment behind it, he believes that learning the ropes the right way is the way to move forward. Green acknowledged that JK probably doesn’t get as much opportunity as he would get in a lottery team. However, the veteran forward wanted the young star to realize that it’s necessary to make sacrifices when you come into an established system in a great team.
Green added that the youngsters can learn a lot by simply observing what the greats did in their early days. Green also stated that one simply can’t expect to be put in a commanding position on the team because that kind of respect has to be earned first. Based on how Kuminga has impacted the Warriors rotation in recent times, it’s safe to say that he’ll get there very soon.
Jonathan Kuminga has taken up the role of a team player
Every pro athlete wants to be a starter for their team. However, there can be only five starters every game and the rest of the bench has no option but to wait for their turn. Adapting to this strategy is not a problem for Kuminga as the 21-year-old said in April this year, “I wasn’t concerned about coming off the bench. It’s like coach always says, it don’t matter. As long as you go in there and give it all you’ve got, you’ll be in there. I was more concerned with just going in there and impacting a win.”
His commitment to the team didn’t go unnoticed by coach Kerr. During a post-game presser in April, Kerr had said, “I think what JK is looking at is how he can be more versatile in different lineups. Can he be a 3? It’s a big question and I don’t know the answer to it. But I know as we continue to help him and as he continues to learn how to create spacing and get his shot off a little quicker.”
Kerr on Kuminga's "breakthrough" season and what his focus will be moving forward 🔽 pic.twitter.com/aGRSUo5VtJ
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 18, 2024
It’s clear that the Warriors have better things in the pipeline for the 21-year-old star. Considering the major co-signs from two of the elder statesmen of the team, Kuminga seems to be on the right path. All he needs to do from next season is to continue to improve his game and be available for his team, whatever the case may be.
