Jonathan Kuminga on Doing the 'Dirty Work' for Timberwolves

On Wednesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Houston Rockets 117-107 to hand them their second loss of the regular season. The game was close through the first three quarters, but forward Jonathan Kuminga led a late-game run that helped Minnesota pull away. 

Kuminga finished the game with 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting, but he hit a three-point shot in the corner that sparked a big sequence to help Minnesota pull away in the end. After the game, he talked about his contributions to the team up to this point, and he said he's just trying to help a very versatile roster. 

"We have so many people who have to put the ball in the hoop, and the rest of the job is rebounding, playing hard, and defending," Kuminga said. "I'm just around those guys and make life easier."

Jonathan Kuminga was brought to Minnesota to be an extra versatile player this season. He was signed later than most free agents, and he knew he would be stepping into a situation where he would not be asked to do too much on an already loaded roster. 

Still, his presence is key to the team. Kuminga is a player who can do everything you need from a forward. He can score inside, space the floor, defend the perimeter, and is very athletic. This season, he's averaged 12.7 points per game, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists.

While his numbers don't jump out of the stat sheet, he's been a big help to Minnesota offensively. Last season, the frontcourt for Minnesota saw a lot of attention with the presence of Julius Randle, but with the addition of LaMelo Ball, all of that now goes towards the backcourt. 

Still, Kuminga has done a good job as an extra player on offense who is capable of giving Minnesota good production. As we saw late against the Rockets, he can show up at any given moment and provide a spark to the team. 

Moving forward, the loss of Anthony Edwards will make Jonathan Kuminga more important to this roster. Games like the one on Wednesday night showed what Kuminga can bring to this team, and what they'll need from him moving forward. 

Especially because it was against a Rockets team that's off to a hot start, it showed the players and coaching staff that he has the ability to make the difference in big games. It will be interesting to see if opposing teams will pay more attention to Kuminga moving forward now that he may have an increased role.