Jonathan Kuminga has spent a good chunk of his career hearing the same knock: can he really help a team win? With the Golden State Warriors, he often found himself stuck on the bench with DNPs, and that skepticism followed him into Minnesota when the Timberwolves brought him in to start at power forward for a team with championship aspirations.
So far, though, Kuminga has answered just about every question the Wolves could have had. In this role, he has looked like exactly the kind of complementary piece they wanted, and the doubts about whether he can impact winning are starting to look pretty thin.
The biggest reason is the work he’s doing on the defensive end. Kuminga has been a problem for opposing forwards, leaning on his size and length to make life difficult.
He’s holding opponents to 38 percent shooting from the field, and that kind of physical defense is a big part of why Minnesota wanted him in the first place. He has also been strong on the glass, pulling down 5.7 rebounds per game.
His defensive activity has gone well beyond the obvious stuff, too. According to Databallr, Kuminga ranks in the 91st percentile for blocks per 100 possessions, the 75th percentile for deflections per 100 possessions, and the 74th percentile for steals per 100 possessions. He’s been alert off the ball, sharp with his rotations, and consistently ahead of the play.
That’s not flashy work, but it matters. And it’s exactly the kind of willingness to do the dirty jobs that makes him fit so well in Minnesota.
Offensively, Kuminga hasn’t been flawless. His efficiency inside the arc could be better.
Still, his spot-up shooting has been excellent, with Kuminga hitting 46.3 percent from beyond the arc. Just as important, his process has been solid even when the results inside the arc have been uneven.
A big part of the old criticism around Kuminga centered on shot selection and decision-making. This season, he’s done a much better job of staying within the offense.
There have been a few bad shots here and there, but by and large, he’s taken good ones and avoided forcing the issue. His movement away from the ball and his screening have also been strong.
The most surprising part of his game might be the passing. He isn’t running the offense, but he has been a reliable connective playmaker who keeps the ball moving and makes the right read. Kuminga is averaging a career-best 2.9 assists and a career-low 0.9 turnovers, another sign that he’s trimming away the habits that once fueled the doubts about him.
With Anthony Edwards, when healthy, LaMelo Ball, and Jaden McDaniels around him, Minnesota doesn’t need Kuminga to be a primary creator. It needs him to be a strong complementary forward. That’s the job he has embraced.
And Wednesday against the Houston Rockets, he delivered his best performance yet. Kuminga finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, then took over when the game tightened.
He scored eight of his points in the clutch, including two big 3-pointers. In the final two minutes, he added a putback, a clutch steal against Kevin Durant, and a game-sealing 3-pointer.
He was impactful all night, too, whether it was stopping drives, forcing turnovers, cleaning the glass, making the extra pass, or knocking down open looks. When the Wolves needed him most, Kuminga came through with the kind of two-way performance that teams trust in winning time.
For now, he’s making his doubters eat crow.
In Other News...
Pelicans Injury Report Could Change Minnesotas Next Test
The Timberwolves next matchup could look a little different depending on how New Orleans sorts through its injury report. The Pelicans have already listed Trey Murphy III as day-to-day with a patellar injury, while Yves Missi is out with a knee injury, two absences that could affect how the game is played on both ends when Minnesota gets back on the floor.
For a Wolves team trying to keep its own rhythm against a Western Conference opponent, the availability of key Pelicans pieces matters more than just the names on the report. New Orleans still has enough talent to make this a useful test, but the uncertainty around Murphy and the absence of Missi add another layer to a game Minnesota will be watching closely before tipoff. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Return Could Change Everything For Timberwolves Contention
Ayo Dosunmu took a moment to speak directly to Timberwolves fans, and his message centered on the kind of edge Anthony Edwards brings every time he steps on the floor. Dosunmu praised Edwards for his trash-talking and competitive fire, saying the star guard carries himself like the sort of player who can tilt a game just by being in it. He also pointed to the intensity Edwards shows in practice, a reminder that the Wolves tone often starts long before tipoff.
With Edwards working his way back from knee surgery, the conversation in Minnesota is less about what the team is right now and more about what it could become once he returns. Dosunmus note was essentially a vote of confidence in the Wolves ceiling, with Edwards presence viewed as the kind of addition that can change the way opponents have to prepare. For a team trying to keep its contention window open, that kind of optimism carries real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Defense Is Giving This Team A Real Title Case
The early-season case for Minnesota has been built less on flash than on resistance. Through nine games, the Timberwolves have stayed near the top of the league in defensive rating, and the groups identity is already looking familiar: Rudy Gobert anchoring the paint, Jaden McDaniels hounding wings, and a supporting cast that has kept opponents from getting comfortable. It is the kind of foundation that travels, and it showed up again in a recent win over Houston, a game that asked Minnesota to deal with one of the better offenses in the league.
What stood out in that matchup was how little the Rockets were allowed to breathe. Minnesotas length and discipline made every possession feel crowded, and the Wolves were able to keep the game on their terms against a team that had been rolling. For a roster still sorting out its broader ceiling, that kind of defensive consistency is the clearest sign that the floor is high, and maybe even higher than some expected this early. [Read more 🡒]