Indiana Pacers wing Chris Duarte will be replaced in the NBA Rising Stars game with Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga. Chris Duarte will miss the NBA Rising Stars game due to a toe injury. The Golden State Warriors forward has been steadily improving and has carved out a solid role for himself with the Western Conference contender.
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
All-Star Weekend is a great experience for any player, but especially for rookies and second-year players in the NBA. This will be a great experience for Jonathan Kuminga heading into the back half of his rookie season. The Golden State Warriors forward is currently averaging 7.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game in his rookie season. Kuminga was selected by the Warriors in the 2021 NBA Draft with the 7th overall pick. He played for the G League Ignite team before that.
Jonathan Kuminga is 19 years old pic.twitter.com/Xz8GaHZuCB
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 15, 2022
The Golden State Warriors are currently the second seed in the Western Conference with a record of 42-16. When Jonathan Kuminga was originally drafted by Golden State it was expected he would eventually be used in some type of trade package. Eventually, the Warriors backed off of that idea and have handed the young forward a role in the rotation. That trust has paid off so far and now he will be playing in the 2022 NBA Rising Stars game. His future with the organization beyond this season is still murky, but for now, he should enjoy the moment. We here at Def Pen Sports want to congratulate him on his selection to the game.
