Jonathan Kuminga may not be as heralded in the eyes of the Golden State Warriors as previously believed.
Warriors may have a rift with Jonathan Kuminga brewing
SF Gate’s Alex Simon shared this quote from San Francisco Standard columnist Tim Kawakami regarding the concerning situation between Kuminga and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr:
“When [Kerr] said at the last game, ‘We were playing better weeks ago. We’re not playing as well as we were weeks ago,’ what happened a few weeks ago? Jonathan Kuminga came back in the lineup,” Kawakami said. “… It’s pretty obvious that Steve Kerr is not too interested in having Jonathan Kuminga be in the main rotation.”
Warriors encountering problems at terrible time
There may not be a more inopportune time for the Warriors to have a problem like this on their hands. Kuminga figures to be an integral part of Golden State’s lineup with the postseason beginning on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old has averaged 12.2 points on 44.1 percent shooting from the field per game in the 15 games he’s played since returning from injury. That falls considerably short of his season average of 15.3 PPG.
Moreover, Kuminga’s inability to shoot the three-ball proficiently may also contribute to coach Kerr’s reluctance to play him more. He’s shot 17.1 percent from distance in that span. The Warriors have cooled off from their surge following their trade for Jimmy Butler at the deadline.
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That has coincided in part with the NBA G League Ignite product returning to the lineup. However, earlier in the campaign, coach Kerr raved about Kuminga, even starting him over Warriors star Draymond Green for a short stretch.
With the former No. 7 overall pick having a $10.24 million qualifying offer for next season, this untimely dynamic could disrupt what was once thought to be his sure future with the team. Kuminga’s postseason play as well as his relationship with coach Kerr will largely dictate how the franchise moves forward with him next summer.
