PORTLAND — At just 19 years old, Jonathan Kuminga is clearly wise for his age.

"​​I'm gonna keep it real," Kuminga said Thursday after the Warriors' win over the Blazers. "I don't think the team really needs me to shoot."

The rookie's revelation was on display earlier that night, scoring 17 points on only seven attempts from the field, his ninth straight game scoring in double figures. The secret sauce — something the Warriors are lacking — was 12 trips to the foul line, converting 10 of them.

Kuminga's strength and athleticism allow him to slash through the lane and draw contact while ripping his way to the rim. He knows this, but every rookie has to find out the type of player they are going to be in the NBA.

"He's getting more comfortable understanding when to pick and choose his spots to go after that," Steph Curry said. "Sometimes you need to be spaced and let the ball move, create good floor balance and all that but there's also times where you can take advantage of those mismatches and show off his athleticism and the way he can finish at the rim."

The Warriors, not shy about their lack of size or athleticism or their style of play, are getting to the line at the seventh-lowest rate in the NBA. Nobody but Curry — who shoots 92% on 4.8 attempts per game — averages more than 3.0 points per game at the line.

"One of the reasons Bob (Myers) drafted him was because of that athleticism and that power," coach Steve Kerr said. "It's something we haven't really had a lot of on our roster."

On Thursday, Kerr described Kuminga's development since the start of the season as "night and day." As the rookie forces his way on to the court more — Kerr has said previously that he has earned a spot in the playoff rotation — he has a chance to add another element to the Warriors offense.

On a per-minute basis, Kuminga's ability to draw fouls blows away anyone else on the team. He gets to the line 6.2 times per 36 minutes, a full two foul shots more than anyone not named Curry (5.0 per 36 minutes).

"When our offense might be bogged down, Jon does a great job of opening the floor because he's so good at the rim," said Klay Thompson. "He's got a great future."

"With the smaller lineups, you need somebody who can play inside and out, put pressure on the rim," Curry said. "He can do that."

Kuminga's 12 free throw attempts Thursday set a new career high. Perhaps more impressive, though, was the mark to beat: he'd already notched two games with double-digit free throw attempts (10, twice, vs. Denver and at Minnesota), despite limited playing time.

By making 10 of them — another career high — Kuminga raised his efficiency multiple percentage points to 67.2% for the season. When he got to the line 10 times against the Nuggets, he needed only 16 minutes to do it — but sank only three of them.

Many players have a certain number they shoot for at the line — Draymond Green earlier this season said 80%; he's at 59.7% — but asked after Thursday's game if he had a goal in mind, he demurred.

It's clear, though, Kuminga has grasped the key concept of the Warriors' entire existence.

"We've got at least seven shooters and three of them are the best shooters in the league," Kuminga said. "I don't need to be out there chasing 3s (when) I know I can get to the line easy, so I don't need to be shooting."