"The Two-Timeline Plan. With it, the Golden State Warriors were trying to do what no one in the modern NBA has ever truly done: compete for a title with a core of thirty-somethings who are walking Hall of Famers, while simultaneously developing a young, high-drafted core to take over the franchise without skipping a beat. It was never going to work."
"And yet, here we are, five games into the 2025-2026 season, and the Golden State Warriors are 4-1. That itself isn't unique; they've been 4-1 the past two seasons, as well. But just because the record is the same doesn't mean that this season doesn't feel different. Because, somehow, someway, the two timeline plan is working. And the catalyst is the kid everyone, myself perhaps foremost on the list, expected to be the odd man out. Jonathan Kuminga is playing like an All-Star."
"When did Kuminga start playing with incisiveness, with an eye for not just a clean, defense-breaking pass, but the pass after that, as well? When did this guy learn to rebound? And was that an off-ball cut? The numbers of Kuminga's start to the season tell a compelling story of a player who stopped trying to be the next Kobe Bryant and started being the version of himself this championship system needed the X-factor."
The Warriors pursued a Two-Timeline Plan to simultaneously compete for titles with veteran Hall of Famers while nurturing a young, high-drafted core to inherit the franchise. The plan seemed unlikely and hubristic but the team opened 2025-2026 with a 4-1 record, matching recent starts while feeling notably different. Jonathan Kuminga emerged as the catalytic X-factor by transforming his game: averaging around sixteen points while contributing significantly more rebounds, playmaking, off-ball movement, and defensive activity. Kuminga stopped modeling a Kobe archetype and instead became a versatile, incisive player whose growth raises the team's championship ceiling and legitimizes dual timelines.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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