Jonathan Kuminga Scouting Report

On draft night, Kuminga will likely be the youngest lottery guy taken. To me, that counts for something.

As a should-be high school senior, Kuminga played against grown men and seasoned pros in the G-League bubble. And he did it well, averaging 15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks for the Ignite. While his shooting numbers weren't impressive and he was taking a great deal of shots to get those numbers high, the raw athleticism, size and comfort Kuminga has running an offense through him are all tantalizing in combination with his frame.

Kuminga demonstrated real comfort creating (both scoring and passing) out of the pinch post, a coveted spot for power wings. Because of his physical maturity and ability to bully guys much older and stronger than him, the Kawhi Leonard comparison gets thrown around. But Leonard has worked himself into a lethal shooter, relying on craft and ability to get to his spot on the floor. He's so sturdy physically and impossible to bump off his spots.

Kuminga is more of an initiator of contact, seeking to bulldoze and slowly back down/ spin to death anyone who dares crowd him. He's long and lean, and he'd prefer to patiently drop step his way to the rim than fire up a mid-range jumper.

I've been impressed with his feel as a passer enough to think he belongs in the top-five tier. I don't think there is any circumstance where I'd take him over Cunningham or Suggs, but he's definitely still in conversation with Mobley and Green for me. The jump shot is certainly the swing skill, and his shot selection/ understanding of the game is so raw that there's so much ground to cover before he's NBA-ready for the alpha role.

By all accounts, Kuminga is a great kid, a fierce competitor who wants to learn and takes to coaching well. To combine those with an already impressive start in the G-League for an 18-year-old (who is almost two years younger than Evan Mobley) makes me believe in him as someone solidly in the mix for a top-three selection.