How Kuminga, Moody have improved heading into third Warriors season

How Kuminga, Moody have improved heading into third Warriors season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are entering an important third NBA season with the Warriors.

And in Saturday's preseason win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the 21 year olds showed flashes of what's to come in Year 3. Both Kuminga and Moody credited their comfortability with the team as a reason for their growth.

"I would say I feel comfortable," Kuminga told reporters postgame. "Being around these guys now for three years, I know everybody's personality, they know mine. And I think just being around them every single day kind of helped me grow as a person and as a basketball player. So mostly I just feel more comfortable being around here."

Kuminga turned 21 on Friday and is slowly but surely transitioning from a teenage first-round draft pick to an athletic young force.

The 6-foot-8 forward dropped a game-high 24 points on 57.1-percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range, adding eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks in just over 23 minutes played.

"I feel good," Kuminga added. "It all comes with all the vets trusting me every day. I'm going to keep earning their trust, every single day. Like I said, just being comfortable, coming here, knowing my role, knowing that it's a big year not just for me, [but] for the team.

"I feel like we have something special that we can do. So it makes me even happier and more comfortable to be here every single day."

Kuminga saw his minutes significantly decrease during the 2022-23 season, and grew increasingly frustrated over the course of the season. After Golden State's season came to an end following a second-round playoff exit, Warriors coach Steve Kerr was asked about Kuminga's usage.

Kerr said the young forward would have to improve his rebounding to see the court more, and Kuminga accepted the challenge on Saturday.

"I just liked his aggressiveness, he shot the ball with a lot of confidence," Kerr said. "He had eight rebounds so he was much more active on the glass than his first couple years. We want that to continue. He showed his athleticism and did a good job."

Moody had the second-most points for the Warriors on Saturday, finishing with 15 points on 46.2-percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from deep, with four rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes.

The third-year guard showed glimpses of his potential toward the end of last season into the playoffs. He, too, knows that growth comes over time and is excited for another season with the Warriors.

"Just more time under my belt. I's just a whole other year of experience," Moody said. "It makes me more comfortable being on the floor, being in those situations. Still, like preseason always is, you have to kind of get out there and find your rhythm, find a flow, so the game just slows down over time."

As Moody said, it is preseason, but he and Kuminga are locked in and ready to showcase their talent and remind the basketball world that they aren't teenage rookies anymore.

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