“Can He Be the Man?” Shaquille O’Neal Questions Jonathan Kuminga’s Superstar Ceiling on the Hawks

Jonathan Kuminga may not have expected to be an Atlanta Hawks player by February, but he ultimately got what he wanted: a move away from the Golden State Warriors. On paper, it is an ideal situation for him. Atlanta was in need of young talent, and Kuminga gets a fresh start. The bigger question is whether he can eventually grow into being “the man” for the franchise.

Shaquille O’Neal raised that exact point on a recent episode of Inside the NBA. He explained how many players enter the league believing they can be “the man,” but in reality, very few are truly built for that role.

When it comes to Kuminga, O’Neal said he never saw him as a primary option on a team like the Warriors.

“A lot of us athletes think we can be the man. Listen, you’re not going to be the man with Steph Curry on the team. You’re not going to be the man with vocal Draymond on the team,” O’Neal argued.

Kuminga was the 7th overall pick by the Warriors in the 2021 Draft. They picked him over guys like Franz Wagner, Alperen Sengun, and his now teammate Jalen Johnson. In comparison, he’s shown nowhere near the same potential as those other players.

The Congolese baller has averaged 12.5 points per game on just over 50% shooting in five seasons with the Warriors. In 2023/24, he topped out at 16.1 points per game, and followed that up with 15.3 per game the next season.

However, O’Neal questions whether Kuminga can be “The man” in Atlanta and develop into the caliber of a player he thinks he can be.

“So, can he be the man here? And, is he that type of caliber of player to be ‘The man?’” O’Neal questioned. “I don’t think he is. I think he’s a great role player, but I don’t think he can be ‘The man.’”

They are all fair questions to ask. At this stage of his career, Kuminga has underwhelmed relative to where he was drafted. The Warriors hoped he would develop into an elite scoring option off the bench before eventually transitioning into a full-time starter. Instead, recurring mistakes and inconsistency kept him from reaching that projected ceiling.

Now in Atlanta, Kuminga should finally get the chance to play through those mistakes. The Hawks are not a championship contender and are clearly focused on long-term development, building around Jalen Johnson while also investing in young pieces like Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, and Onyeka Okongwu.

In the end, this looks like a win for both sides. The Warriors get a chance to roll the dice on Kristaps Porzingis, a move that fits their desire to take one last big swing in the fading days of the dynasty. The Hawks, meanwhile, gain the opportunity to mold Kuminga into the player he has always believed he could become. It will be interesting to see how it plays out from here.

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