With all of the noise and speculations that generated around him and the Golden State Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga firmly believes that it would be a make-or-break campaign for him next 2023-24 season.
After a lopsided sophomore year for the Warriors, the high-flying forward approaches the upcoming season with a chip on his shoulder.
“This upcoming season is definitely the year,” he told ESPN’s Leonard Solms.
“A lot of people are expecting so much from me – and myself; I’m expecting a lot. It’s a lot of pressure, but I don’t really pay attention to the noise.”
He added: “The pressure is always going to be there. It’s just [on] me to go out there and perform.”
Kuminga isn’t entirely convinced of the progress he made in his young career so far. Upon being drafted by the Warriors as their prized lottery pick back in the 2021 Draft, he was completely placed in the backseat as the club heavily prioritized its veterans and proven contributors.
Last season was viewed as a perfect opportunity for him to finally shine with Golden State seeking to defend their regained glory. Although he averaged a much improved 9.9 points and 3.4 boards for 67 total regular season games, Kuminga unfortunately wasn’t able to seize the major responsibility of helping the Dubs come postseason time, appearing for just 10 matches in a mere 6.1 minutes which saw him churning a lowly 3.4 points.
Upon enjoying a rejuvenating offseason this time, there could be deep contemplations at the side of Kuminga wherein he is indeed seeking a major leap to prove his stardom.
But the fact that Golden State acquired Chris Paul this summer, he can only feel confident about his continuous growth and development that would unlock his true potential. With the future Hall of Famer holding that bold reputation for being a proven floor raiser, Kuminga is truly bound for opportunities that will help him in a long-term viewpoint.
“The achievement [I crave] is just growing as a person – there’s nothing more important than growing as a person,” he said.
“As long as you grow as a person, that opens up a lot of doors. Now you know what to do on the court and now you know what to do off the court – just [by] growing up.”
