In the Golden State Warriors` crucial last two games of the season, forward Jonathan Kuminga didn`t get to play. He didn`t leave the bench in the final regular-season game against the Los Angeles Clippers, and the same happened in the play-in game victory against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
As the Golden State Warriors get ready for their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, starting on Sunday, it`s uncertain if coach Steve Kerr will give playing time to Kuminga, who is 22 years old. However, after the Grizzlies game, Draymond Green seemed very sure that Kuminga will have a part to play.
Green told reporters that Kuminga will contribute and be important in the series against the Rockets. He said Kuminga is working hard and staying ready, which is the best thing to do in his situation. Green has no doubt that Kuminga will help the team and is 1000% confident in him.
On December 5th, Kuminga had one of his best games this season against the Rockets. With Stephen Curry out, Kuminga, playing as a substitute, scored the most points for the team – 33 points, making 13 out of 22 shots, in a 99-93 win. It was his highest score in a game at that time, but he later scored even more, 34 points, in two games in a row later that month.
That wasn`t the only time Kuminga played well against Houston this season. On November 2nd, in the Warriors` sixth game, he scored 6 of Golden State`s 8 points in overtime and ended up with 23 points, making 7 out of 12 shots, in a 127-121 victory. Curry also didn`t play in that game.
It`s thought that Kuminga might be able to lessen the Rockets` advantage in being athletic. He is 6-foot-7, which is five inches taller than Gary Payton II, and his size could be useful if Kerr wants to use lineups that can switch defensive assignments easily. However, those two games against Houston feel like a long time ago. They were before Kuminga sprained his right ankle, an injury that kept him out for more than two months. More importantly, they were before the Warriors got Jimmy Butler, who has changed how the team is put together.
Jimmy Butler is expected to play a lot, and so is Green, who has been a top defender in the league recently. Unfortunately for Kuminga, he might not fit perfectly with these two, mainly because he`s not as good at shooting from far away, which affects the spacing on the court.
It`s not just about shooting though. Golden State has used player combinations that reduce spacing – like Butler, Green and Payton; or Butler, Payton and Kevon Looney – in recent games, including important moments against the Clippers. For years, the Warriors have tried to solve spacing problems by moving the ball, setting screens, and making quick decisions. Kuminga not playing in the last two games suggests that the team isn`t confident in his decision-making.
In February, before Kuminga came back from his injury, Kerr watched game film with him, showing him clips of himself and Butler. Kerr told reporters that Butler `just makes the simple play over and over again` and he wants Kuminga to learn from that.
Kerr believes that it`s often harder for very talented players to make decisions because they have too many options.
Kerr has been open about why Kuminga hasn`t been playing many minutes since returning from his ankle injury. In a radio interview last Thursday, Kerr said that Butler joining the team `took away many of Jonathan’s minutes at the 4` position and that the team found `other lineups that have worked well` while Kuminga was injured.
He mentioned in the radio interview that a lineup with Jimmy, Jonathan, and Draymond `doesn`t fit real well, frankly,` and that they need more space on the court.
The next day, before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Kerr explained further. He told reporters that it`s a `tough combo` but that doesn`t mean he won`t try it again. On April 3rd against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors played Butler, Green, and Kuminga together for the last five minutes and won 123-116. Kerr liked how Kuminga played that night, and it helped their defense switching.
Kerr said that `Things haven’t gone in JK’s direction, and that’s part of the NBA,` and `you never know, things change quickly, so everyone’s just gotta stay ready.`
After the Clippers game, Kerr told reporters that he had informed Kuminga during a team practice that they would not be using their usual player rotation, but `I didn’t tell him he wasn’t going to play `cause I wasn’t sure if he was going to play or not.` He explained that `we’ve just found a group since Jimmy got here that we’re pretty comfortable with` and also noted that Gui Santos was also out of the rotation.
Before the Grizzlies game, Kerr mentioned to reporters that he thought the team missed Santos against the Clippers. (Santos did play for six minutes against Memphis.) When asked if he had talked to Kuminga about his role before the game, he said no. And when asked if he was worried about a player losing focus when given a DNP-CD (Did Not Play – Coach`s Decision), he said no, not at this point in the season.
Kerr stated that `That’s regular-season stuff.` He explained that during the 82-game season, they consider everything and try to help everyone, understanding where everyone is. But when the playoffs arrive, everything changes, and the focus is just on winning each game.
Jasper Hawthorne