What Could Go Right and Wrong for Wolves With Jonathan Kuminga This Season

The Timberwolves believe Jonathan Kuminga—with his defense, rebounding, and always-present athleticism—is the piece that will lock the rest of their starting lineup into place.

The hope is that things will click into place well enough for the Wolves to legitimately compete for a championship as soon as this season.

But with any meaningful change, there is a risk that things don’t play out as intended. Kuminga could not be the key that unlocks things, LaMelo Ball could struggle to stay healthy, and the Wolves could end up finishing similarly to how they did last year as a talented bunch, but not good enough to hang with the top-end teams in the Western Conference.

That is a possibility. But equally possible, this summer of change in Minnesota could be an overwhelming positive, with Kuminga playing a big part. What (exactly) could go right for Kuminga and the Wolves this season, and what (exactly) could go wrong?

They could win a championship

Kuminga is not a perfect player. He shoots 33% from deep over his five-year NBA career. He is a good defender, but only when he truly wants to be, similar to Anthony Edwards. Kuminga has been an on-ball demanding player in the past, but absolutely can’t be when he shares the floor with Edwards, LaMelo Ball, and Jaden McDaniels.

But if Kuminga plays the way he seemingly knows he needs to by prioritizing the less sexy parts of his game, I believe Minnesota could win a championship with him on the roster. Or, at the very least, legitimately compete for one.

“[Chris Finch] wants me to come here and be myself, rebound, defend at the highest level,” Kuminga said at his intro press conference last week. “Just focusing on those two, just rebound and defend, I think that’ll help the team, and it will help me.”

Jonathan Kuminga NBA Timberwolves — Jonathan Kuminga is ready to focus on high-level rebounding and defense. That will be essential for Minnesota's championship aspirations. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If things go right, Kuminga—even with his flaws—will be the piece that transcends Minnesota’s starting lineup into a juggernaut of an offensive threat. If things go right, he will constantly be moving off the ball, catching lobs from Ball and cutting around Rudy Gobert to punish defenses that collapse because of their lack of shooting. If things go right, Kuminga will play a complementary style of offense and marry it with consistent defense.

And if that all happens, not only will the Wolves likely operate at or near a championship level, but Kuminga will also make a strong case for his next contract extension to take place in Minnesota.

Or, Kuminga could end up not being the right fit

If things go wrong, however, the run-off will likely show itself primarily on the offensive end. Kuminga’s lack of floor spacing will be detrimental to Minnesota’s offensive flow, and his off-ball cutting will not be as productive alongside Ball as many—myself included—are expecting it to be.

Kuminga could get in his feelings about his inconsistent offensive output. He could start thinking about his next contract, forgetting that the best path to that in Minnesota is to forget about his own stats. Kuminga could let all of that impact his defense, which would be even more so damaging for a Wolves team that frequently let their offense impact their defense last season, when they were an overall immature bunch.

All of that could happen. Kuminga’s partnership in Minnesota could be lackluster, ending with either him opting out of his player option at season’s end or the Wolves looking to trade him to his fourth new team.

But at a $6 million price point, that is a risk well worth taking on a player who can significantly raise Minnesota’s ceiling to potentially a championship-level team if things go right.

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