Grading Jonathan Kuminga's Debut With The Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks took down the Washington Wizards decisively last night at home, and it marked the first game of Jonathan Kuminga's career with the Hawks. Kuminga was acquired at the trade deadline, but had not been able to play because of a bone bruise in his left knee.

Not only was Kuminga able to make his debut last night, but he made Hawks history in his debt.

Kuminga finished tonight with a season-high 27 points (9-12 FGM, 3-4 3FGM, 6-7 FTM), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. No Hawk had ever finished a debut with the team with 25+ points in fewer than 30 minutes. Kuminga played 24 minutes in tonight's win.

What grade does he deserve?

Feb 24, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) controls the ball against the Washington Wizards during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

In a vacuum, it should be pretty easy to give Kuminga an "A".

The big question is what he will do alongside Jalen Johnson and if those players can co-exist, but Kuminga made things look easy last night. He was great in transition, was 3-4 from three (which was a big question mark for him), and looked in command when he had the ball in the halfcourt as well.

Our own Rohan Raman shared his thoughts on Kuminga's debut tonight:

"Jonathan Kuminga made his Hawks debut tonight and he did a nice job of stepping up to account for Jalen Johnson's absence. Kuminga threw down a thunderous dunk to introduce himself to Hawks fans and he finished with an impressive team-high 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists to go with two steals. He ran the floor well and surprisingly, made three of his four attempts from deep. It's hard to expect him to put these numbers up every night, but his athleticism clearly made a difference tonight and he had a very solid debut that showed few signs of rust.

Assuming he recovers well from this game, Kuminga should play again in the Hawks' second game against the Wizards. He'll get a tougher test against the Blazers on Sunday where Atlanta will be able to see how he affects them against a more NBA-level roster."

The one thing that might not make this an A+ debut is the opponent. The Wizards are not playing their best players and are closer to a G-League level team than they are an NBA team. Atlanta plays Washington again on Thursday, but Kuminga will face a much bigger test on Sunday when the Hawks host the Portland Trail Blazers.

One game does not mean that Kuminga is going to save the Hawks season, but if you are a fan or a member of the coaching staff and front office, this was the exact debut that you wanted to see.

Grade: A