JTA believes Kuminga can make Warriors top-five team in West originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors failed to make the NBA playoffs this season, but former Golden State winger Juan Toscano-Anderson believes the team has what it takes to return to its former glory.
And while stars like Steph Curry and Draymond Green are certainly expected to lead that charge, there is one player Toscano-Anderson believes will have the biggest impact.
“I think they have a good team. I think they just need to figure some things out,” Toscano-Anderson told the “Sloane Knows” podcast this week. “…I think they’re just dealing with some kinks. And when you look at some teams, you just see it [the Warriors are] not far away from. I don’t think they are far away.
“They have enough talent to compete… They have some young guys that they are grooming. Jonathan Kuminga has obviously taken the opportunity this year. I think he will be much better next year, and I think he will think if he plays well, obviously the other guys are going to do what they’re going to do, but I think if Jonathan Kuminga plays well consistently, I think that’s going to be the case as well. Warriors can be a top-five team in the [Western Conference] next year.”
Kuminga had a breakthrough season in the 2023-2024 NBA season with the Warriors, his third year in the league. After averaging 9.6 points in 18.8 minutes per game over his first two seasons, Kuminga posted career highs this year in points (16.1), assists (2.2), rebounds (3.6), field goal percentage ( 52.9) and minutes per game (26.3). season.
But it’s clear that Toscano-Anderson expects even more from Kuminga’s upcoming fourth season. The 21-year-old entered the league with high expectations after the Warriors selected him No. 7 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, which was a crucial part of Golden State’s 2022 championship run during his rookie campaign — which also happened to include Toscano used to be. -Anderson’s last in the bay.
While Kuminga still has plenty of room to grow, Toscano-Anderson is right: the Warriors aren’t far from a return to title contention after bowing out of the NBA Play-In Tournament, and the young talent could hold the key to have.
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