Averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game, Kuming has improved, you are worth 40 million! The Warriors are gradually returning to the championship ranks

The new season has quietly kicked off. Judging from the games in the past few days, the competition in the Western Conference is different from what was previously expected. The ambitious Clippers, Tyronn Lue chose self-destruction tactics and trial and error lineups, and the defeat was expected. The Thunder lacked a Jaywe. Alexander averaged 45 points in two games and led the team to two consecutive victories, but was dragged into double overtime by the opponent! Instead, the Warriors became the best-performing team, winning consecutive games against the Lakers and Nuggets at the start of the season. During the offseason, the Warriors were delayed by Kuminga for three months and were unable to make any operations. It was not until the preseason started in October that they hurriedly filled up the lineup and gave Kuminga a two-year, $48.5 million contract with a team option. But one thing is puzzling. The famous reporter Hollinger and the American media "TA" both ranked the Warriors among the top three in the Western Conference in the new season!

Are warriors so strong? Let’s start with Kuminga. In the previous two seasons, Kuminga averaged 15.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. The biggest conflict between him and Cole is that Cole hopes that he can integrate into the Warriors system, do some dirty work, pass more passes, and less unreasonable singles. No one denies Kuminga's talent. He played against the Timberwolves in the playoffs last season. When Curry fell, Kuminga averaged 24.3 points in four games, which was better than Butler's performance. He almost became the Warriors' last comfort. But after the new season started, Kuminga completely changed and he was completely unrecognizable! In the battle with the Lakers, Kuminga scored 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists on 6-of-11 shooting. Against the Nuggets, Kuminga still scored 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists on 6-of-11 shooting, averaging 16 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game.

Give a few examples. In the battle against the Lakers, after Kuminga broke through, when people thought he was about to make a mindless layup again, Kuminga found Horford through the gap in the crowd, lost his balance in the air, and accurately delivered the ball to help him eat the cake. Including key offensive rebounds and a blowout three-pointer in the third quarter, helping the team stabilize its rhythm. In the last defensive round against the Nuggets, he took the initiative to direct Curry to go to the corner, and immediately defended Jokic himself to avoid being outplayed by the Nuggets. After the game, Curry took the initiative to find Kuminga and gave him a high-five. This was also affirmation and positive feedback from the team boss. In these two games, when Cole intentionally increased the proportion of Kuming's ball possession, Kuming's growth rate was a bit too fast!

In fact, after the Warriors assembled a 15-man roster in early October, the outside world generally looked down on this team. The core is older, the overall height is seriously insufficient, and Curry and Butler are often injured. But let me share four statistics: When Cole brings out the lineup of Curry + Butler + Kuminga + Green + Horford, the Warriors can beat their opponents by 66.7 points per 100 rounds! Zoom in a bit and remove Horford, the Warriors can still win by 29.9 points per 100 possessions! Continue to narrow down: When Curry + Green + Kuming plus three people are on the court, the Warriors beat their opponents by 32.9 points per 100 rounds; replace Curry with Butler, and beat their opponents by 31.4 points per 100 rounds! It's really surprising that a coach like Cole, who likes small guards, suddenly put out a super-large lineup, and the results were pretty good!

The key is that the Warriors' five-man team is indispensable for everyone. Horford has space attributes and the ability to handle the ball. Butler + Green + Kuminga can switch defenses infinitely and have enough flexibility. Even Horford can match up with Murray. These few people can protect Curry, which is also the key to Curry's victory over the Nuggets in the fourth quarter and overtime. The more important part here is the relationship between Kuminga and Butler. According to Bay Area reporter Slater, although Cole always believed that Butler and Kuminga could not coexist, privately Butler helped Kuminga a lot, watching videos with him, and taking him to practice footwork and turning movements, including precise passes in transitions. According to Bay Area media, Kuminga trusts Butler very much, which is one of the reasons why he is willing to renew his contract.

If Kuminga maintains an average of 16+7+5 per game, has both ball-handling and shooting skills, and can take on part of the series work when Butler or Curry is resting, then his market price will be at least 35 million, and he can even touch 40 million. NBA data in this era is too detailed. Basic data is only the most insignificant, but no one can cover up its contribution to the team. The key is that Curry is the biggest beneficiary: in the past 11 years, Curry has ranked first in tying or overtaking shots in the last 90 seconds of the game with 29 three-pointers! At critical moments, you can always trust Curry, but before that, the Warriors need more people to protect the bottom line, and Kuminga is slowly adapting to the role of the team's third leader.

Don't forget that the Warriors have more tactical possibilities, such as Moody and Melton still recovering from injuries. When Kuminga no longer worries about playing time, the happiest person is probably Cole. Playing the right way, Kuminga will definitely start steadily. Curry also needs a more reasonable Kuminga. If the Warriors can maintain the leadership system of the Big Three in the new season, the regular season will be much simpler. Butler and Curry will not be in danger of injuries. There is no need for Kuminga to leave the Warriors. He can wait to take over from Curry! Do the Warriors really want to win the championship in the new season?