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SACRAMENTO – It was a game, their first at the NBA level, a glorified scrum against a roster of players much less advertised than them.
But if first impressions count, and sometimes they do, the draw giveaways from the Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, will have a long career in the league.
Teens will need years of refinement and growth, multiple cycles of course, but the raw tools on display Wednesday night in a 94-87 loss to the Miami Heat on their Summer League debut at Draft Golden 1 Center has the possibility of producing as recruits.
The Warriors have some great athletes, including Andrew Wiggins. They don’t have much of a physical presence other than Draymond Green. Kuminga, although he wasn’t 19 until October, combines the two components better than anyone on the roster since rugged Festus Ezeli, whose knees have betrayed him after three seasons.
At 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds, Kuminga projects himself as a small power forward, but has the agility to defend on the perimeter and the strength to chase down some big men. He has a lot of rough edges, but his hunger is obvious.
“He’s a hard worker, a good listener, determined to improve,” Jama Mahlalela, one of the new assistants under head coach Steve Kerr, said of Kuminga. “He wants to go to the gym morning and night, every day. He’s driving me crazy – in a great way. “
Shooting with confidence, Kuminga scored 18 points, shooting 7 of 14 from the field, throwing an emphatic dunk and draining a triple from the left corner. He has defended, on several occasions, all five positions, repeatedly dealing with 7-foot heat center Omer Yurtseven.
“His energy and his strength, as an 18 or 19 year old player he is lucky to be a very good player,” Summer League coach Kris Weems said of the No.7 pick. .
Kuminga admitted his failures – “to reduce some of my (six) turnovers” – but otherwise showed himself well enough to begin to feel comfortable with NBA activity.
“I feel like I can make an impact right away,” he said of getting the minutes as a rookie. “Just learn all the parts, try to improve and stay with Steph and Klay and learn a lot of things really quickly.
“The teams that I will play with, they won’t need me to score 40 or 50 points. They just need me to be aggressive every night.
Moody is only five months older than Kuminga but, having played elite ball in high school and spending a full season at the University of Arkansas, he’s considerably more advanced in the fundamentals. He has a solid knowledge of the terrain and clear defensive instincts.
He also has a nice sweater.
“It’s something I’m proud of, especially as a young player, just hitting open punches,” Moody said. “Kicks to touch is how the coaching staff preach. We come back to this all the time in practice. You have to hit those shots, especially in a real game, when that pass is from Draymond or someone like that.
That Moody, a pure wing at 6-foot-6, 205 pounds, also passed his fellow rookie, 7-3, indicates a desire to mix him into the paint.
“He makes a choice,” said Mahlalela. “He’s chasing offensive rebounds. He has a knack for it, and he shows it. He must also understand defenses, however. “
Moody scored 19 points, a record for the team, but looked tired in the second half, during which he shot 4 of 12 from the field. He conceded that there was one thing about his first game in an NBA jersey that mostly surprised him.
“Probably how long the match lasted,” he said. “I’m used to watching these games, I can get up, eat something and come back. But when you’re out there on the floor, it’s a long game.
RELATED: Steph Loves Kuminga, Moody As Part of Warriors’ Winning ‘Vibe’
Note to Moïse: Summer League games only last 40 minutes, which is eight shorter than an official NBA game.
Note to the two recruits: this is the start. The road will be long, sometimes ruthless. There will be nights when you never leave the bench. You’re on the same list as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Green, and Wiggins. It will take patience, so prepare plenty of it.
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