Golden State Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga on Wednesday was named as an injury replacement for Indiana Pacers rookie Chris Duarte in the NBA Rising Stars game.
Duarte, the 13th pick, was replaced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver after suffering a toe injury on Sunday. He is expected to be sidelined for the immediate future due to the injury, clearing the way for Kuminga to take his spot in the annual showcase game.
Kuminga is averaging 7.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 46 games and was viewed as perhaps the top snub from the initial voting. Klay Thompson called it a travesty that Kuminga was left out of the festivities while head coach Steve Kerr had a similar response on Wednesday.
I was disappointed he wasn’t selected in the first place. He is, clearly, one of the best rookies out there. I guess the reasoning was is he wasn’t playing as much early in the season when the other coaches voted on the selection. I am just planning on reminding J.K. before every game that the opposing assistant coaches did not vote him in. We’ll see if that motivates him.
Kuminga played sparingly to start the season but has since played a larger role with the team. He is in the midst of his best stretch of the season, averaging 15.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists over his last seven games, including three starts.
Entering play on Wednesday, Kuminga had scored in double figures in each of his last seven games. He became the youngest player in franchise history to score at least 25 points in a game when he put up a career-high 26 points on Dec. 18.
Said James Wiseman:
I’m actually proud of the dude because he works hard every day. I’m very grateful that he is on the team with us and I’m very proud that he is out there doing his thing.
Kuminga is highly regarded within the Warriors organization. With his unique blend of strength and athleticism, Kuminga has the potential to develop into one of the best two-way players in the game. He has shown glimpses of that throughout the year.
He will now have the opportunity to participate in the exhibition game on Friday and play with several of his younger peers. He will be on Team Gary Payton, along with LaMelo Ball and Scottie Barnes among others.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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