In the Golden State Warriors’ much-needed 109-105 victory over the Phoenix Suns – a game in which growth was symbolized by constant displays of power – it was a typical display of finesse and flair from Steph Curry that showed perhaps the greatest indicator of growth for the polarizing Jonathan Kuminga.

Curry drives inside and draws two defenders – one of whom was former teammate and fellow “OG” Kevin Durant – and jumps to Kuminga in the corner. Even though Kuminga did get a few looks from beyond the arc, the Suns’ defense would have preferred to make a three-pointer in this situation, given his career rate of 33.7% on threes and 32.0% on nearly fours this season considers attempts per game. Also consider the time: Choosing to go for a three-pointer when there are 14 seconds left on the shot clock would be an obvious misjudgment of the current situation.

In previous situations where Kuminga received passes like the one Curry threw to him, he often held onto the ball, hesitated and decided to hit the ball in isolation, either off the dribble or into the low post. While such decisions are justified in favorable matchups where an advantage exists, Kuminga has little to no advantage over Durant in a theoretical isolation situation. Here’s how – with Curry in prime position after giving up the ball – Kuminga makes his team look even better with a simple extra flip of the top, followed by a pin-in screen:

While Curry misses a shot he would make most of the time, it’s the process behind the shot that should be praised – one that has Kuminga’s fingerprints all over it. Steve Kerr made sure to highlight this possession in his praise for Kuminga after the game.

“I just think he’s turning things around, I just think he sees pictures well,” Kerr said. “He made a play toward the end of the game where he swung the ball to Draymond, immediately pinned it for Steph and Steph got a three-pointer. He didn’t make it, but this is the game where you have to realize that Steph is your teammate. You see him cutting through the lane, swinging the ball and setting up a screen for him. Those are the plays that when he goes and does what he does – going downhill, getting fouled, getting to the rim – now the mix, the mix of Steph, Draymond, JK, now it’s really powerful.

“I’m so impressed with JK and it just feels like he’s turning things around. Played so hard last night and tonight. The rebound at the end, just before he was fouled, came out of nowhere along the baseline to make this play possible. I think he had about seven boards in the second half. He’s been fantastic and that’s exactly what we’re looking for and he’s fun to watch.”

Kuminga’s fit in Kerr’s system – one that not only requires assertive decision-making, but also fast Decision-making similar to his core principle of “0.5” basketball has been called into question since he was drafted seventh overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. The desire to be at the center of an approach at odds with what made the Warriors successful has forced Kuminga to fit into a round hole as a square peg. Both team and player have been forced to make adjustments and adjustments to make this somewhat feasible – with mixed results.

One type of adjustment the Warriors have made – and have made – is to have Curry set up reverse ball screens for Kuminga through their “small” halfcourt to persuade a switch to a smaller defender. The setup comes from the Warriors; The rest is up to Kuminga to finish what was started. He does this against Tyus Jones below:

Again against Bradley Beal (albeit with a slightly different setup):

And against Royce O’Neale, where he makes his way to the right block with “Barkleys”:

Against a larger frontfield player like Mason Plumlee (see below), this also counts as imbalance – and provides insight into Kuminga’s value in the sense that he can attack imbalances across the position spectrum:

Although it may be difficult to combine power and finesse and make something harmonious out of it, it is not completely impossible to achieve. Kuminga has shown signs of wanting to be the quick decision maker at the power forward position occupied by Draymond Green…

…while also being a smash maul player, adding a raw element to an otherwise nice offense (whenever it works). It’s also a necessary element: Along with Gary Payton II, Kuminga is the only non-big player on the roster (other than Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kevon Looney) whose attempts at the rim make up the majority of his total hitting diet – all while hitting 72 this season % of such attempts were made. That mark is tied for second-best with Moses Moody and is only bettered by Payton’s 82% – two players who have played significantly fewer minutes than Kuminga.

Also telling is that Kuminga leads the team in free throw attempts per 75 possessions (7.0) and free throw attempts per 75 possessions (4.4). He was fouled on 15.2% of his shot attempts, which also puts the team well ahead. On a team that ranks 29th in free throw attempt percentage, Kuminga’s ability to draw fouls was crucial – and made possible by his power play.

Because of this, it is paramount for the Warriors to allow Kuminga to thrive in his comfort zone of penetration – while also helping him get to his comfortable spots. Otherwise, Kuminga should know when to be useful off the ball as he was in the aforementioned pin-in ball. This also includes knowing when to take advantage of space created by defenders who are distracted by more threatening teammates – defenders who, as previously mentioned, aren’t too worried about a Kuminga point jumper.

That mindset of playing within the system, playing in the flow of organized chaos and going up against one of the league’s best advantage creators is an opportunity to be rewarded. An prepared after-timeout by Kerr rewards Kuminga – who slides inside after making one of two staggered throws for Curry – with two free throws. He pays it forward by making both of them give the Warriors a lead they would never relinquish until the end of the road, a huge development for a player who is hitting 63.5% of his free throws this season:

The process of reinforcing Kuminga as an important and necessary cog in this often convoluted machine has been an arduous process marked by ups and downs and fluctuating performances. The push to keep Kuminga and send him to relatively greener pastures has been an ever-present theme over the past four seasons. It can be stressful for a player to feel wanted, unwanted, and varying levels in between over multiple seasons.

There is a viable path forward should the Warriors decide to pursue Kuminga as an asset and building block for the future. Empowering him means emphasizing the “power” in his play as a power forward, a position Kerr intended him to play.