Jonathan Kuminga Scores 27 Points In Hawks Debut

Jonathan Kuminga scored 27 points in his Atlanta Hawks debut against the Washington Wizards.

On Feb. 4, Kuminga was traded along with Buddy Hield for Kristaps Porzingis. Kuminga was recovering from a left knee bone bruise he suffered on Jan. 22, which had recently healed.  

Kuminga was the Hawks’ best player in his debut. Along with his team-high in scoring, he also had seven rebounds and four assists. He also had help from Corey Kispert, who scored 12 points. Kispert was playing against his former team.

The Wizards got strong performances from Will Riley and Jamir Watkins off the bench. Despite this, the Hawks still won 119-98. 

The Golden State Warriors had very difficult contract negotiations with Kuminga this offseason. ESPN reported that the Warriors were unhappy with Kuminga’s development outside of his scoring. 

Kuminga played very well the first four games of the season. However, he quickly declined after this, leading to his playing time getting reduced. 

In a Dec. 6 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kuminga was benched late into the game. Kuminga hadn’t played in clutch time much this season, but showed frustration with the decision to bench him in this game.

Draymond Green tried to talk to him, but that only upset Kuminga more, who stormed out of the locker room. Kuminga did not receive a formal punishment, but didn’t play the next three games. This was effectively the beginning of the end for Kuminga’s time with the Warriors.

ESPN reported that the Warriors were shopping Kuminga around for at least a month before the trade with the Hawks. 

The Warriors got the size they needed with Porzingis. Meanwhile, Kuminga gives the Hawks a young piece to kickstart their rebuild. 

The Warriors and Hawks will meet on March 21. This game will be at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.