There was one NBA player that Jonathan Kuminga frequently was compared to early on in his career, but even at the time, it was rather unrealistic.
The young, 6-foot-7 forward, selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, received early comparisons to Kawhi Leonard, a six-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year who is bound for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame when his career eventually ends.
While it might have been an apt comparison for the unproven Kuminga's potential ceiling throughout his first couple seasons in the league, the 22-year-old, fresh off his fourth roller-coaster campaign with Golden State, no longer is receiving Leonard comparisons, but was compared by Warriors coach Steve Kerr to one current and one former NBA star.
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SIGN UP HERE "I've always felt like the type of player JK needs to be, I've mentioned this in the past, Shawn Marion is a guy that jumps out," Kerr told The San Francisco Standard's Tim Kawakami on the latest episode of the "The TK Show." "I talked about this JK's rookie year. With his athleticism, running the floor, putting pressure on the rim, offensive rebounds, getting into the dunker, the drop-off pass from divers, going up and dunking, guarding everybody at the other end. I think that's, to me, what he's really built for.
"We've really pushed him in that direction. I think sometimes with young players, there's a process. I think Aaron Gordon is a good example. He spent years in Orlando, where he really wanted to be the scorer and the lead guy and had some success, like JK has, but really maybe didn't find his role and find himself until later. And that's kind of the hope."
The 6-foot-7 Marion, a 16-year NBA veteran, was a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection who averaged 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game on 48.4-percent shooting from the field and 33.1 percent from 3-point range.
Gordon (6-foot-8), who is one of the more impactful players in today's game and played a big role in the Denver Nuggets' 2023 championship, is another player that Kuminga frequently has been compared to throughout his career.
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While Kuminga still has the raw talent to ascend to the level of either of those two star players, Kerr believes it will be tricky for him to do so in Golden State's system with the way he currently plays the game.
"I think right now, he is a ball-dominant player, 92nd percentile in usage rate this year in the NBA," Kerr told Kawakami. "That's really high. So on a team with Steph [Curry] and Jimmy [Butler], honestly, Steph's going to have the ball. Jimmy's going to have the ball. So the fit is tricky, there's no question. What JK and I have talked about a lot and what we've really tried to hammer home with him is sprint the floor and rebound and be complimentary to those guys and that's how you can find your role and find more minutes."
That's not to say Kuminga, a restricted free agent this offseason, can't reach his full potential with the Warriors, but it could take some time. And it has.
"Hopefully that will click and we'll find that place where he can start to do those things and rebound and get loose balls and be a high-energy possession guy like Shawn Marion, like Aaron Gordon," Kerr concluded. "I think those guys are great comps. But young guys take some time to find their place, to figure out the best versions of themselves, and I think that process is still happening."
But do the Warriors have time to wait?