NBA news: According to multiple reports, the Golden State Warriors came close to parting ways with incoming third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga earlier this summer. Apparently, the Warriors looked into the prospect of trading Kuminga leading into the NBA Draft, which obviously, never came to fruition.
The Warriors decided to keep the 20-year-old, which speaks volumes of how much trust they have in the former No. 7 overall pick.
NBA News: Jonathan Kuminga Gets Real on Pressure He’s Facing Ahead of Year 3
Jonathan Kuminga, of all people, knows that there’s a lot of pressure heading into his third season in the NBA. He is now entering the final two years of his deal, with the Warriors also holding a team option for 2024-25. To some extent, this is going to be a make-or-break year for Kuminga.
Be that as it may, the young man is taking it all in stride. In fact, he is embracing the pressure:
“A lot of people are expecting so much from me – and myself; I’m expecting a lot,” Kuminga said, via Leonard Solms of ESPN. “It’s a lot of pressure, but I don’t really pay attention to the noise.
“The pressure is always going to be there. It’s just [on] me to go out there and perform.”
In his first two years with Golden State, Kuminga has averaged 9.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 18.8 minutes per game. Those numbers aren’t bad, but there’s no denying that there’s going to be bigger expectations from him this season.
At this point, however, Kuminga is also making sure that his development goes beyond the four corners of the basketball court:
“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.”
NBA News: Big Things Also Expected from Bucks’ MarJon Beauchamp
Much like Jonathan Kuminga, there’s also going to be a lot of pressure on Milwaukee Bucks sophomore MarJon Beauchamp. The 22-year-old didn’t exactly take the NBA by storm in his rookie campaign last season, but it seems like he’s now primed to break out in Year 2.
Beauchamp should get more opportunities under new head coach Adrian Griffin, and he could be a player who surprises the league next term. Based on his recent 83-point explosion in a summer Pro-Am game, it is clear that the 6-foot-6 swingman is eager to make a name for himself in the big leagues.
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