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Jonathan Kuminga Passes Test In Lakers-Warriors Season Opener

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For NBA fans, the summer was dominated by discussions about Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors. On one side of the aisle were those that believed Kuminga was a poor fit with the Warriors. On the other side were those that thought he was a subpar player, behind the curve developmentally. Very few people looked at the situation with the type of nuance that it required, leading to extreme takes.

In the Warriors 2025-26 season opener, Kuminga put those concerns to rest, at least for a night.

Jonathan Kuminga Passes Test In Lakers-Warriors Season Opener

Golden State and the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers had a tough act to follow thanks to a thrilling season opener that saw the Oklahoma City Thunder outlast the Houston Rockets in double-OT.

They didn’t disappoint.

Picking Up Where They Left Off

In a hard-fought battle, both teams struggled to gain separation in the first half.

Oct 21, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after an offensive foul call on guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first half against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images

Warriors forward Jimmy Butler picked up right where he left off last season, doing plenty of damage from the free-throw line. On a related note, while Butler had 10 free-throw attempts in the first half, Lakers guards Austin Reaves (3) and Marcus Smart (4) were racking up fouls. Meanwhile, Lakers point guard Luka Doncic was in midseason form, stuffing the stat sheet and leading all scorers with 22 points. Across from Doncic was Warriors leader Stephen Curry. Despite entering his 17th NBA season, Curry had tallied 14 points and three steals in 16 minutes.

Conspicuous Kuminga

Kuminga started the game, which was another point of debate this offseason. He conspicuously did not play well in the first half, at least from a scoring standpoint. In 16 minutes, he was 1-6 from the field and 1-3 from 3, scoring four points. However, he was moving the ball well, leading to him racking up five first-half assists. Though he didn’t stop Doncic every time down, he also played very solid defense against the Lakers’ top scorer.

The second half was essentially more of the same from Butler (14 points, six free-throws), Doncic (21 points, five assists), and Curry (nine points) offensively. Reaves also continued to score at a solid rate (14 points) despite being matched up against reputable defenders. However, Kuminga also came alive with 13 points, largely thanks to a third quarter that saw him go a perfect 5-5 from the field.

Notably, this is the point at which Golden State was able to gain separation from Los Angeles. In the first half, the Warriors largest lead was eight points. In the second half, their largest lead was 17 points, which was achieved after Kuminga hit a 3 off a Curry assist six minutes into the third quarter. This provided them with the cushion they needed in the fourth quarter, when Reaves’s heroics weren’t enough.

The Last Word

In the Warriors double-digit victory against the Lakers, Kuminga finished the game with 17 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and one steal. It was his first career game with 8+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 4+ 3-pointers, per Carson Breber of The Volume Sports. To be sure, he wasn’t necessarily able to shake loose and play his preferred style. Even so, he showed how he can adapt his game to suit Golden State. Mentoring from a two-way playmaker like Butler, whose skillset and path overlap with his in myriad ways, has helped as well.

It’s just one game, so there’s no need to make any grand statements about Kuminga.

He could follow up this performance with another one that’s well-suited for a third option. He could be asked to take on more of a load offensively due to certain matchups. For example, when they face the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday (Oct. 24), he may face a much weaker primary defender than Curry (Jrue Holiday) or Butler (Toumani Camara) are expected to. He could also be moved to the bench, even if he continues to play well. After all, his desire for a consistent role was about more than getting the ball.

However, it’s fair to say that Kuminga passed his first test of the season. For tonight, that’s good enough.

© William Liang-Imagn Images

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