OKC Thunder NBA draft profile: Jonathan Kuminga – untapped potential

Pro Comparison:

The list of comparisons offers a broad range but speaks to his all-around capability. Each of Danny Granger, Luol Deng, Jeff Green, and Pascal Siakam was suggested and as noted they are players who all possessed a full toolbox of two-way skills.

That quartet suggests the analysts consider Kuminga a workhorse-style player. From our perspective, it all will depend on how committed the youngster is in putting in the time and effort to grow, and then once he gets consistent playing time if he’ll bring the effort and focus on both ends. If he does I think he has the potential to surpass all of the aforementioned comparisons.

OKC Thunder fit:

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Typically a player this raw with a high ceiling would be the ideal fit for the OKC Thunder as they progress through the revamping of the franchise. Certainly, the development team would be of great benefit to Kuminga. Yet, I find myself thinking he’d be better served landing on a playoff squad. That way the Greenwich native would have to put the work in at the G-League level and compete to break into the varsity rotation.

It’s perhaps an odd thing to say given Aleksej Pokusevski is also young but unlike Kuminga, he has the perfect demeanor for the developing Thunder. POKU plays every game with a swagger and competitiveness so when he misses a defensive assignment it’s not for lack of effort or focus.

Nor is Kuminga a Luguentz Dort type who’ll quickly adapt – he needs time (years) and again in the narrator’s opinion his career will be best served if he has to fight to force his way into a varsity rotation.

Ultimately, if Presti makes no deals to move up and Kuminga falls to the OKC Thunder he fits the timeline and has massive upside.