Nickeil Alexander-Walker was in awe of new teammate Jonathan Kuminga after he dropped game-high points against the Wizards in a winning cause.
There were always questions about whether Jonathan Kuminga would be able to assert himself after being traded midseason to the Atlanta Hawks. After struggling for consistent playing time over the past two seasons with the Golden State Warriors despite showing flashes of promise, many wondered how he would respond to a fresh start.
But in his Hawks debut, the 23-year-old forward looked completely at home — so much so that his teammate Nickeil Alexander-Walker couldn't hide his admiration for both Kuminga's production and his demeanor on the hardwood.
Jonathan Kuminga Makes His Presence Felt in Atlanta Hawks Debut
It was expected that Kuminga would come off the bench rather than be immediately thrust into the starting lineup. Still, in just 24 minutes, he showed exactly why many believe he has the potential to become one of the league's most exciting two-way forwards.
He finished with a game-high 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, including three 3-pointers, along with seven rebounds and four assists. His performance etched his name in the history books — no Hawk in franchise history had ever recorded 25 or more points in a debut while playing fewer than 30 minutes.
Beyond the numbers, it was Kuminga's demeanor that stood out. Alexander-Walker noted how vocal and assertive Kuminga was with his new teammates, setting the tone and making it easier to understand how he wants to operate within the offensive system. That level of confidence, especially in a first outing with a new team, speaks volumes.
"Another person that's going to put pressure on the rim, get in the paint," Alexander-Walker said. "His willingness to pass and just fit in within the system. Having fun with everybody. He was always locked in and vocal throughout the whole game, so it was cool for him to come out and do that."
Jonathan Kuminga Proves It Wasn't a Fluke
One electric debut is easy to explain away — the Wizards aren't exactly a measuring stick, and hot shooting nights happen. Kuminga's second game made that argument harder to make.
Two days later, again against Washington, he put up 17 points, nine rebounds, and three assists in 30 minutes on 55.6% shooting. The Hawks won by 23 again. The scoring dipped, but the rebounding jumped, and his overall impact on the game didn't.
Through two outings, Kuminga is averaging 22 points and eight rebounds on 66.7% shooting from the floor — numbers that would look impressive over a full season, let alone a two-game audition.
The sample is still small. But there's a difference between a player getting hot and a player looking like he belongs, and Kuminga has looked like the latter from the moment he checked in.
Jonathan Kuminga Could Be the Atlanta Hawks' X-Factor
Although the Hawks currently sit ninth in the Eastern Conference standings, they are just four wins behind the sixth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers. A strong winning streak could quickly change the standings.
With newcomers like Kuminga and Gabe Vincent adding scoring punch both from the perimeter and inside the paint, Atlanta may be unveiling a version of itself that few anticipated.
The bigger question now is what this team looks like once Jalen Johnson returns from his hip injury — and whether the Hawks have quietly stumbled into one of the more intriguing young forward duos in the Eastern Conference.
Kuminga has never lacked for talent. What he lacked in Golden State was opportunity. Two games in, it's looking like Atlanta just gave him exactly what he needed.