Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) shoots against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, left, during the first half in Game 3 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
Colin Hubbard/Associated Press
Jonathan Kuminga played sparingly for the Golden State Warriors his rookie season, when they won their last NBA championship.
Don’t tell Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum.
“He has championship DNA coming from the Warriors,” McCollum told reporters last Thursday after Kuminga helped Atlanta beat the New York Knicks in Game 3 of their first-round playoff matchup.
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“He understands how to play the game the right way. The athleticism is off the charts. You see the explosiveness. He’s got a middie. He knows how to post up. He knows how to screen. And defensively, he can guard one through five.”
No, the Hawks aren’t leading the series, but yes, Kuminga is making an imprint — helping Atlanta to back-to-back wins through the set of skills McCollum described. His force, explosion, power and feel were key in Games 2 and 3 of the series, demonstrating his all-around impact and upside in a playoff environment.
The Knicks lead the series 3-2 as reigning Eastern Conference finalists and were a minus-300 favorite (per Bet MGM before the series) to top the upstart Hawks, who face the end of their season Thursday. Win or lose at State Farm Arena, Kuminga has proved a contributor and key part of their core.
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“Jonathan has just been all in, whatever that looks like on a given night,” Atlanta head coach Quin Snyder told reporters after Game 3. “I think the biggest thing he’s done is he’s just defended. Certainly, there’s been some plays on the offensive end that you can point to. But I think that’s been the impact that he’s had on our group — another guy that’s in there competing and defending.”
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Of course, Kuminga flashed the upside he’s shown in the playoffs with Golden State, but he couldn’t land a consistent role — catching a month’s worth of DNPs at head coach Steve Kerr’s discretion before he was traded with Buddy Hield for Kristaps Porzingis — despite the team’s dearth in athleticism. The Warriors had the fewest dunks in the NBA in 2025-26 with 226, 29 fewer than the Boston Celtics and 62 fewer than Denver Nuggets.
One of the best athletes in the NBA, Kuminga had 138 dunks in 2023-24 when he played a career-high 74 games. Outcome with the Warriors notwithstanding, he gave them something they didn’t replace: above-the-rim activity, twitchy first-step, two-way quickness and defensive versatility on the wing and in the frontcourt.
As soon as Kuminga was healthy for Atlanta, Snyder cemented him into his rotation, deepened with wings who play up-tempo in a more traditional halfcourt offense. In 16 regular-season games, he averaged 22.1 minutes, 12.3 points (47.6% shooting, 34.6% 3-point shooting), 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists, winning his minutes by 100 points.
Consistency can build confidence.
“I’m very comfortable sacrificing for whoever, whenever and however,” Kuminga told reporters after Game 3. “That don’t faze me as long as I go out there and help us win and just be a winner.”
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Kuminga is averaging 26.6 minutes, 14.2 points (49.1% shooting, 19% 3-point shooting) and 3.6 rebounds this postseason. In a Game 2 win at Madison Square Garden, he had 19 points, four rebounds and two steals, effectively guarding All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns for significant stretches. Three days later in a Game 3 win, while again guarding Towns at key junctures, he had 21 points, four rebounds and a steal, doubling All-Star guard Jalen Brunson to force a giveaway in the closing seconds.
He’s guarded across the lineup, attacked in rhythm and given the Hawks a jolt with his two-way play.
“He’s really taken our team to another level, especially on both ends,” Hawks wing Jalen Johnson told reporters Thursday postgame. “Just him constantly playing with physicality, playing with force, it makes him very hard to guard. He’s been doing a good job of that, and hopefully he continues to do that.”
That doesn’t mean it’s been a perfect playoff series for Kuminga, who remains streaky with his 3-point shot — following the wins with 7-of-20 combined shooting (1-of-11 from 3-point range) in back-to-back losses. The Knicks have leaned on Brunson and Towns — and their pedigree and star power — and physical play from their trio of wings, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, to regain control against the youthful Hawks.
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Still, it’s been a positive series for Kuminga, who’s applying what he learned with Golden State.
“He was in a not so great situation,” McCollum said. “Now he’s found a happy home.”