Jonathan Cumminga, the Warriors’ “game changer”.

Jonathan Cumminga not visible not too bitter. After waiting a long time for a new contract with the Warriors, the Congolese could experience a slight delay in the start. Instead, the striker does better than the answer, as in Steve Kerr’s five last night. On Monday, he finished as Golden State’s leading scorer and rebounder (25 points, 10 rebounds) in a collective exhibition against Memphis.

Solid throughout the match, the 23-year-old provided exactly what the Warriors needed in penetration, focusing much more on finishing in the paint than creating width. Against the Grizzlies’ sometimes frankly questionable interior defense, the plan worked perfectly.

“JK was fantastic” Steve Kerr rejoiced at the press conference. “He seems to have found his place in this group, playing with Jimmy (Butler) and Draymond (Green). The way he rebounds, the way he attacks the rim, that’s what makes him special. His athleticism, his strength…When he plays with this talent, this ability, it changes our team. And it changes his game. He’s been great.”

Rebound as a new advantage

While the Warriors’ racket configuration has seen all kinds of experimentation by Steve Kerr in recent seasons, and Al Horford was spared for this first round of back-to-backs, the trio of Butler-Cumminga-Green seems to have found its groove. And Golden State especially owes it to Jonathan Kuminga’s good moods in a role that has been largely unused. With his ten rebounds and double-double, he brings balance to the presence near the hoop much sought after by the California franchise.

“It’s a matter of commitment to participate in the return” he explained to the media. “I just do it, no matter the circumstances, whether I shoot or not, whether I see the ball or not. Some of these rebounds help win games. Having that mindset from the beginning is something I try to have all season long. I just love to get rebounds.”

Faced with a puzzle that is far from intractable for both his personal situation and playing time and the results of the Warriors, who have often dominated in the paint, Jonathan Cumminga has done his introspection. And wear overalls during the off-season. “It’s one of the aspects of my game that I’ve had to work on and improve” he admitted. “Over the summer, I really thought about what I could add to my game besides scoring and defense. How I can impact wins. Adding that rebounding mentality is a big part of what I’ve been doing this summer, and I’m trying to apply it. There’s going to be nights where I don’t get as many rebounds. But if I have this desire to be there for rebounds, I don’t think I can help my team rebound. So far, I’m doing pretty good. We’ve got to keep doing this job. »

Averaging eight rebounds per game since the start of the season, Jonathan Cuminga is on track to double his career average, which has never really fluctuated (between 3.3 and 4.8 rebounds averaged over his first four seasons). The sample is still thin with four matches played. But a 3-1 record and the performances of Jonathan Cumminga (18 points at 58.1%) encourage optimism.

“That’s what I prefer, when 10, 12 guys can contribute to a win” smiled Steve Kerr, too often faced with the sinusoidal performances of his group around Steph Curry in the last two seasons. “Everybody feels included and important. That’s a state of mind that is established in the team, and this group has a real chance to achieve that.”

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