Jonathan Kuminga made a statement in his Atlanta Hawks debut, scoring a season-high 27 points during a dominant 119-98 win over the Washington Wizards. The performance immediately sparked buzz around the league while giving Hawks fans a glimpse of what the dynamic forward can bring to his new team.
In the postgame, Kuminga was asked about his motivation and whether it ties back to his saga with the Golden State Warriors over the past few years. The 23-year-old gave a very mature response that will gain even more believers within the Hawks’ organization.
Jonathan Kuminga Is Focused on Only One Thing With the Atlanta Hawks
In just 24 minutes of play, Kuminga shot 9 of 12 from the field, including 3 of 4 from three-point range, to help the Hawks ease to their 29th win of the season.
The former No. 7 overall pick additionally backed up his scoring with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, showcasing his impact across the stat sheet.
This performance certainly was an early vindication for the Hawks, who traded center Kristaps Porziņģis to the Warriors in exchange for Kuminga and guard Buddy Hield. The fifth-year wing had a tumultuous end to his career in the Bay Area.
Kuminga was in and out of Steve Kerr’s rotation at times and eventually requested a trade in January, despite his recent two-year extension.
After his Hawks’ debut, the Democratic Republic of Congo native was asked whether he was looking to make a statement to his old team last night. Kuminga gave a measured response to this question, highlighting his sole focus going forward.
“No, I wouldn’t say statement. Everyone’s going to have their own opinions in mind…At the end of the day, we’re trying to win as many games as we can here, and the window is very small for us to stack it up. That’s my main focus, that’s been everybody else’s main focus on this team.
“It doesn’t matter if I go out there and take two shots and have two points. As long as it’s somehow impacting for us to win, that’s all that really matters.”
The Hawks Will Need This Version of Kuminga To Make Noise in the East
It’s been a very consequential year for the Hawks this season, who have struggled with consistency for much of it. The franchise has moved on to a new era after dealing star point guard Trae Young and currently sits at 29-31 overall and ninth in the Eastern Conference.
Quinn Snyder’s team’s spot in the Play-In, however, is not guaranteed, especially with the eleventh-place Milwaukee Bucks tied with them in the loss column. That being said, if Kuminga stays sharp, the Hawks still have the chance to catch some of the teams ahead of them in the standings.
This group has a relatively easy schedule down the stretch, and several ascending players who are still years away from their prime. And the early good news for Hawks fans is that Kuminga seems locked in on the same goal as the rest of his new teammates, which bodes well for the immediate future.
