Jonathan Kuminga was on the Milwaukee Bucks' offseason radar, but the decision came down to the Timberwolves or the Lakers, and the former won out. With the Bucks entering a rebuild phase after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, it made sense for Kuminga to join a team in a position to win a championship, so it's not like Milwaukee should've felt like it "missed out," but if anyone within the organization, or any fans, feel that way, seeing him play on Wednesday should've quelled that feeling.
In the Timberwolves' preseason contest against the Pacers, Kuminga finished with two points (1-of-9 shooting from the field, 0-of-3 from three), one rebound, three assists, and one steal in nearly 19 minutes. Kuminga was the only starter with a negative +/- (-7).
It'd be silly to take a victory lap over a preseason game, especially with a player making $6 million this season. Still, Kuminga's performance didn't inspire much confidence that he's the player the Timberwolves need.
Kuminga looked more like the player he was with the Warriors, and if that's what the Bucks would've gotten, the excitement over signing him would've faded into the background.
Kuminga's inconsistencies would've followed him to Milwaukee
The hype around Kuminga signing with Minnesota was overblown, and that's fine, even though the regular season hasn't started yet. Between the Timberwolves' need for a starting power forward and his decision to turn down the Lakers for them, he was labeled the missing piece for a contending team, even though he's never been that player.
He showed them on Wednesday why he may not be that missing piece. Kuminga didn't look like a complementary piece to the Timberwolves' offense. He missed shots at the rim, his bread-and-butter, and open looks LaMelo Ball generated for him.
And then there were the shots he forced, like when he pulled up on Kelly Oubre Jr., who was all in his space, with 7 seconds left on the shot clock and Ayo Dosunmu open on the perimeter. Yes, again, it's just the preseason, but Kuminga can't command possessions like that. That's not his role, and he struggled with that in Golden State.
On defense, Kuminga looked lost at times and got pushed around. He really can't take possessions on that end, or he'll find himself coming off the bench.
The Timberwolves are competing for something bigger than the Bucks are this season, which puts more pressure on Kuminga, who is still chasing a big payday. He would've had more space to figure things out and make mistakes in Milwaukee, which would've helped him, but maybe not the Bucks.
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