Jonathan Kuminga made another lasting impact after returning from a stomach bug, leaving Steve Kerr with nothing but praise for a man he doesn’t see as a guaranteed starter.
Jonathan Kuminga Proves Pivotal to Warriors Once Again Despite Defeat
A second straight NBA loss for Golden State on Tuesday night saw the Oklahoma City Thunder tighten their grip on top spot in the Western Conference.
Although it was a marginal four-point loss, the Warriors moved to 12-6 for the season in what amounted to a difficult night in defense.
In the absence of both Steph Curry and De’Anthony Melton, Jonathan Kuminga was reinstated in the starting lineup having relinquished his spot – Kerr favors a two-way big man set-up consisting of Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
The 22-year-old more than stepped up despite his team’s loss, and proved he offers something no one else can – bar Curry – in the Warriors roster.
Kuminga went 5-for-11 in the paint and put constant pressure on the rim following a rusty start, having not long recovered from a two-game stint on the sidelines with a stomach bug.
KUMINGA TOOK FLIGHT ✈️ pic.twitter.com/J6d0Gts1Hh
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 28, 2024
Steve Kerr was full of praise for Kuminga ahead of Wednesday’s loss, saying: “JK has played a really important role for us this year. I know he would prefer to start, but the way that the team is built, what we’re trying to do defensively — what we’ve done defensively to this point — it makes perfect sense for JK to come off the bench and be our scorer off the bench.”
It will be interesting to cast a keen eye over Kuminga’s contract situation with the Congolese native now entering the final year of his deal with Golden State. Kerr recently downplayed rumours of a Kuminga trade, saying is here for the “long-haul.”
For now, the gap between player demands and franchise plans are yet to see eye-to-eye but the Warriors’ preference is to keep unlocking Kuminga’s potential off the bench as much as possible.
In the absence of their usual two-way big set-up and Steph Curry, they are able to penetrate in an entirely different way by dribble pressure around the rim, as opposed to fickle pass possession outside the paint.
