The411 wrote:FNQ wrote:The411 wrote:
I have to chuckle at the near-elite athleticism because I'm struggling to think of a player his size that is more athletic. Sure his movement isn't as fluid as it could be, but he reminds me of Lebron when Lebron was in his teens. Clearly Lebron had much better basketball instincts at that point, but that put back dunk on Monday was absurd in terms of athleticism. It looked way too easy and it looked like he was floating for a second.
Functional and non-functional athleticism are different. Everyone loves the head over the rim shots, but that's all aesthetic. Look forward to his inevitable dunk contest shows, but in terms of functionality, means way more if he has a quick 2nd jump and/or timing
LeBron had elite agility and still borderline has it 20 years later. Kuminga is and always has been more straight-line. Which is great, but the players with elite athleticism that translates are the ones that can change direction fastest with minimal speed dropoff. Just like with running backs and WRs, the NBA covets that type of thing more than anything.
Does that matter to Kuminga right now? Probably not, as he wont play many meaningful minutes, and when he does play them, teams wont sell out to stop him. But if he progresses to that point where he's a key player and offensive option, it will come into play, especially as it relates to avoid charges and adjusting to defenders in the middle
That fluidity you referenced is a big deal, probably the one most important aspect in the NBA. Agility. Top end speed, high-end vertical, most bench presses... which of those means more than the ability to change direction quickly?
He's certain shown flashes but he's a bit of a whirling dervish in the paint ... chaotic, physical and quick. He lacks mastery of his fundamental footwork and needs to learn the craft, but aside from Bron I cannot remember a player at 19 who can physically dominate grown men.
Of course there's a lot more to it, but he has the "it" thing that is common in superstars.
Absolutely, he definitely has the upside there. When they rank athleticism-based things, they typically keep a top-10 events as a way of evaluating the peak, and then top 50 to gain a more realistic number. Since Kuminga has such a small amount of time, he doesnt have a ton of events to work with, so its entirely possible that he jumps up into their version of elite, especially as it relates to COD/agility. From the eye test, he definitely looks like he *could* be there
But he's been doing well, its time to legitimately reward that in some way instead of just 'lol rookies' at him
