When the NBA initially announced the roster of rookie, sophomore and G League players for the Rising Stars Game at Cleveland’s All-Star weekend, Golden State Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga was surprisingly left off the list.
After a notable snub, the No. 7 overall pick from the 2021 NBA draft has been added to the Rising Stars game as a replacement for fellow rookie Chris Duarte, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Indiana Pacers rookie will miss the Rising Stars game due to a toe injury.
Via @ShamsCharania on Twitter:
Golden State rookie Jonathan Kuminga is replacing Indiana’s Chris Duarte (toe) in the NBA Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 16, 2022
While Kuminga’s numbers may look slim at 8.0 points per game on 51.1% shooting from the floor with 2.8 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game, the 19-year-old has a tailor-made skillset for the Rising Stars game.
Throughout his rookie campaign, Kuminga has already recorded a flurry of eye-popping highlight-reel dunks.
With Draymond Green out due to injury, Kuminga has seen an increase in playing time. The G League Ignite product has tallied eight consecutive games with double-figure scoring efforts, averaging 15.3 points on 60.3% shooting from the floor during that span.
The Rising Stars game will tip-off on Friday at 6 p.m. PT at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
