Jonathan Kuminga, Hawks Surge Add Pressure on Struggling Warriors

The Hawks’ freshly acquired forward Jonathan Kuminga has the ability to create a dinner menu that will leave the Golden State Warriors with a terrible taste in their mouths when they play each other on March 21 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Revenge is a dish that is best served cold. The game will begin at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) or 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

As part of a deal that took place on February 5th, Kuminga was sent to Atlanta, and in exchange, Kristaps Porzingis was sent to the Bay Area. Kuminga scored 27 points in his debut game for the Atlanta Hawks, which was a blowout victory over the Washington Wizards on February 24. This came as he was finally released from the shackles that had been holding him back with Golden State.

After being buried on the Warriors’ bench with coach’s decision DNPs for months before to the trade, he needed a performance that is vindicating in order to improve his confidence. This performance was just what he needed.

Over the course of six games, including one start, Kuminga has contributed to the Hawks’ success by averaging 14.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and shooting 56% from the field. Within that time frame, they met the Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Wizards on two separate occasions. Their record during that time period was 6-0.

On March 20, the Atlanta Falcons suffered a defeat against the Houston Rockets by a score of 117-95. Prior to that, the team had been on a run, having emerged victorious in 11 consecutive games. As of March 21, Kuminga is anticipated to participate against the Warriors, despite the fact that he was unable to play against Houston due to an injury to his left knee. The injury report for the club may now be considered cleared.

Everyone rooting for Kuminga

Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Warriors, anticipates a confrontation with Kuminga and is excited about the reunion. He gave an interview to Nick Friedell of The Athletic in which he expressed his desire for the 23-year-old player to have success in the league. “I can tell you that everybody likes JK. Each and every member of our staff wishes the utmost best for him. What I want for him is the very best,” Kerr remarked.

Despite the fact that Kerr was criticized for being the ring leader who stifled Kuminga’s development, he believes that the Congolese star could have been better off if Golden State had not selected him in the 2021 draft.

The statement was made by Kerr to The Athletic. “I think this is part of the modern NBA,” he stated. You are getting individuals who have a very limited amount of experience. To tell you the truth, the best possible scenario for J.K. when he first entered the NBA would have been for him to play for a club that was not very good. On the contrary, he joined a team that wins championships.

He continued by saying, “The way to develop in this league is to play thirty to thirty-five minutes every night, make mistakes, learn from your mistakes, grow, and be able to do it out of the spotlight.” Indeed, I am aware of the fact that he was unable to accomplish any of those things at this location. It is for this reason that I am sincerely hoping that the change in environment will be just what he required.

When Dan Devone, a sports radio personality out of the Bay Area, expressed his desire for Kuminga to do exceptionally well against the Warriors, he most likely spoke for the entire Bay itself.

The statement was made by Devone on 95.7 The Game. “I’m just saying that I hope that he does really well,” he stated. He was treated in a manner that I simply do not approve of. I have not been his attorney for the past five years, and I have not been defending him. I am merely stating that I believe that Dunleavy has been piling on over the past two months, and you did not need to go there to imply that we are unable to trade for the guy. This is essentially what you are saying. He was well aware of what he was doing. This was a dog whistle that he did not have to send out into the world. To put it simply, that was unprofessional.

“I don’t know what Steve Kerr was thinking the last couple of months, it was just weird,” Devone continued. “It was definitely strange.” That being said, I really hope that Jonathan Kuminga is able to get away for one night and get the final laugh, and I really hope that it is tonight.

Two teams headed in different directions

For Atlanta, the trade that involved Kuminga being traded for Porzingis could not have happened at a more opportune moment. Since he was traded to the Warriors, Porzingis has been in and out of the lineup on multiple occasions. Injuries and illnesses that have persisted for a long time concern him. In the most recent instance, he departed the game that the Warriors were playing against the Detroit Pistons early on March 20 due to back spasms.

As a result of left lower back discomfort, Porzingis is not expected to play against his former team, the Hawks, according to the NBA injury report.

After dealing with a wide variety of injuries, the Warriors have been experiencing a downward trend. Stephen Curry (knee), Seth Curry (adductor strain), Jimmy Butler (torn anterior cruciate ligament), Al Horford (right soleus), Moses Moody (right wrist), and Porzingis are the six players that are listed as being unable to play versus Atlanta.

Additionally, the injury report notes that there are additional players that are listed as being questionable for the game. Draymond Green is suffering with a lower back issue, De’Anthony Melton is nursing a left knee injury, Gary Payton II is struggling with right knee pain, and Quinten Post, who turned 26 today, is questionable feeling out a right foot injury. All of these players are now undergoing treatment for their respective injuries. With a right wrist injury, Malevy Leons, a two-way player, was listed as a doubtful for the entire season.

15 of the previous 21 games that Golden State has played have been losses. They come into the game against Atlanta with a record of 33-37, which places them in the tenth spot in the postseason race, which is the last available spot for an NBA Play-In berth.

Given that they are already 8.5 games ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans, who are currently in 11th place, it is extremely unlikely that they would slip out of contention. However, with twelve games left in the regular season, the Warriors are concentrating their efforts on achieving greater consistency in their day-to-day performance, but the most essential thing is keeping themselves healthy.

In a positive development, the most recent information regarding Curry is that he is making good progress, as stated by the team in a press release. “He has intensified his individual on-court workouts and, as next steps, he will be incorporated into live action and team practices in the coming days,” the team announced in reference to Curry’s injury. “He will be re-evaluated again after the team returns home next week.”

The Hawks, on the other hand, have made strides and have the potential to play a significant role in surprising a few teams in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta currently has the seventh seed in the standings with a record of 38-32, however it is possible that they will not finish the season in that position.

For the time being, the Orlando Magic, who are now in sixth place, have a 0.5-game advantage over the Hawks for the sixth spot, which provides them with an automatic berth in the playoffs. It is possible that the Hawks will turn out to be one of the most surprising teams of the 2025-26 season, with only 12 games left to play.

After spending several months on the bench, Kuminga’s season has taken a significant turn for the better. This is a great boost for him personally.

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Jonathan Kuminga, Hawks Surge Add Pressure on Struggling Warriors