October 30th 2024.
It was just over an hour before the game was set to start and Jonathan Kuminga was standing in front of his locker at the Chase Center, where the Warriors were getting ready to take on their opponents. As he caught his breath from the pregame sprints he had just finished, he couldn't help but overhear the news from ESPN that he would be coming off the bench for this game, despite the fact that star players like Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and De'Anthony Melton were unavailable.
Kuminga hadn't had a chance to speak with head coach Steve Kerr about this decision yet, but he didn't seem too concerned. "It's his call," Kuminga shrugged. "I'm not the coach, so I'll go along with whatever Steve decides." When asked about how he felt about not starting, Kuminga simply replied, "I'm not worried about it."
However, there seemed to be some growing doubt within Kuminga's camp about Kerr's commitment to utilizing him in the team's offense. It was only the third game of the season, and tensions were already starting to rise between the two sides. Despite attempts to negotiate a rookie contract extension, no agreement had been reached before the deadline. According to sources, the Warriors were more concerned about maintaining flexibility during the season, while Kuminga's camp felt that the offers they received were below market value.
During his pregame press conference, Kerr refused to reveal his starting lineup for the game. When asked directly about Kuminga's status, he simply replied, "Possibly." Instead, he focused on the lineup of Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, Draymond Green, and Trayce Jackson-Davis that would be starting the game. It seemed that the team was prioritizing Moody's 3-point shooting over Kuminga's ability to drive to the basket, and wanted to maintain the chemistry between Green and Jackson-Davis.
This decision to bring Kuminga off the bench for this game was a surprising one, especially considering the team's injuries and the potential need for Kuminga's offensive skills. Last season, he had averaged 16.1 points per game and was arguably the team's most talented scorer. However, in the first three games of the season, he had struggled to find his rhythm and was only averaging 8.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in just under 20 minutes of playing time. The team's use of a larger lineup with Kuminga playing small forward alongside two non-shooting bigs didn't seem to be a good fit for his style of play, and the 12-man rotation that Kerr was using had limited his minutes.
But Kerr was quick to dismiss any concerns about Kuminga's performance so far this season. "I don't put too much stock in a small sample size like that," he said. "JK had a great preseason and I'm confident he'll find his groove. We need his athleticism and strength on the court. Tonight could be a big game for him, depending on how things play out. With us using a 12-man rotation, it may take some time for guys to get into a rhythm, but I'm not worried about JK at all."
Kuminga himself seemed to have a level-headed approach to the situation. When asked about his preference between starting and coming off the bench, he simply replied, "I'm just here to play." He had started 46 out of 74 games last season, but was willing to do whatever the team needed. As for his performance so far this season, he described it as "decent" and acknowledged that it takes time to adjust to a new team and system.
The relationship between Kuminga and Kerr was definitely one to keep an eye on. Last season, after being benched for the final 18 minutes of a game against the Denver Nuggets, it was reported that Kuminga had "lost faith" in his coach. Now, less than a week into the new season, it seemed that they still had some things to work out. But Kuminga was used to these kinds of challenges and remained professional, stating, "I've been in the league for four years now. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. As I said, I'm not the coach. I'll just go along with his decision."
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