In his first game after leaving the Warriors, Kuminga smiled throughout the entire match.

At last, Kuminga appeared in his first game for the Hawks, marking his career debut in a jersey other than the Warriors'. Since the trade, he had been out with a left knee bone bruise, returning only today.

The Wizards were indeed a suitable opponent for a comeback game. The Hawks' 18-3 run in the first quarter largely secured the victory. The margin hovered around 20 points throughout, leaving little suspense. Kuminga was given ample freedom to play.

In the first quarter, he scored 7 points with two fast-breaks and a three-pointer. He didn’t play in the second quarter but exploded in the third with a perfect 5-for-5, scoring 18 points including two threes and hitting 6 of 7 free throws. During garbage time in the final quarter, Kuminga even made a hook shot under the basket despite being hit in the face — a skill he didn’t have before.

There was also a play in the first quarter where Kuminga, already airborne driving to the basket, still managed to find a teammate in the corner for a three-point assist. In his Hawks debut, Kuminga was nearly flawless; the only flaw was two careless shots in the final quarter while trying to reach 30 points.

He came off the bench for 24 minutes, shooting 9 of 12 overall, 3 of 4 from three, and 6 of 7 on free throws, finishing with a season-high 27 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a plus-minus of +16. The 27 points also set a new record for most points in a Hawks debut off the bench.

This debut fully met the Hawks' expectations for him. Kuminga’s physical attributes perfectly suit the Hawks’ wing-heavy style. His size and athleticism rank among the best on the wing. Today’s shooting efficiency was exceptional for him, but if he can maintain a good shooting percentage, his future with the Hawks is limitless.

Kuminga was smiling almost the entire game. Afterward, a reporter asked him by the sideline, “You had a smile on your face all night and seemed to really enjoy playing. Where does that feeling come from?” Kuminga replied, “Our group has a great vibe; we joke around a lot. I think bringing joy to the game is important.”

After the game, Kuminga said in the players’ tunnel, “I don’t know what to say, I’m just really excited. We went out there and fought to get this win. Winning as many games as possible is what matters most. It doesn’t matter who plays well as long as we play for each other and get the victory.”

Jaylen Johnson unexpectedly left the game injured today, so Kuminga might start in his place next game. This is Kuminga’s fifth season, but he’s a year younger than Johnson at only 23. Over the years with the Warriors, he wasted much time dealing with team and coach Kerr’s issues.

During his years with the Warriors, he had a few brief honeymoon periods with Kerr, but most of the time their relationship was marked by mutual distrust and irreparable breakdown. With Kuminga’s talent, he clearly deserved more than just bench minutes, but by the end of his Warriors tenure, he had completely lost Kerr’s trust.

Their parting was far from graceful. Right after the trade, Warriors reporters immediately revealed complaints about Kuminga’s entourage taking too much food from the Warriors’ dining area. For a team with the league’s highest valuation, the Warriors’ behavior seemed petty.

Kuminga responded to the related news with a laughing-crying emoji and said, “Is there more?” Curry replied under Kuminga’s comment, “Sorry, brother. This is ridiculous. Go out there and achieve something great.”

There are many cases of high draft picks failing to develop, but the messy entanglement between the Warriors and Kuminga is especially ugly. They should have parted ways last offseason or even earlier, but the delay was due to disagreements between management and coaching staff, with Kuminga as the biggest victim.

Now freed from the drama in the Bay Area, Kuminga played his first game like a wild horse off the leash, completely unburdened and focused solely on the court. His performance today isn’t so much a slap at Kerr and the Warriors, as the Warriors’ dual-track approach over the years has long been deemed a failure.