It’s been a rocky season for the Golden State Warriors. After an encouraging 6-2 start, things have been downhill for the franchise. First, it was Klay Thompson, then it was Draymond Green, and now it’s Jonathan Kuminga, who is at the center of the spotlight after the latest reports. According to NBA insider Shams Charania, Kuminga has officially “lost faith” in Kerr as a coach following a series of questionable rotation changes.
“After sitting for the final 18 minutes of Thursday night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has lost faith in coach Steve Kerr, and the 2021 lottery pick no longer believes Kerr will allow him to reach his full potential,” sources close to Kuminga told The Athletic. “…adding another layer of turbulence to an already complex Warriors season. ‘(Thursday night) was the straw that broke the camel’s back,’ one of the sources said.”
The Warriors carried a double-digit lead going into the fourth quarter on Thursday but they collapsed down the stretch of the game and allowed the Nuggets to win the game on a ridiculous game-winning three. Kuminga, who scored 16 points on the night, was benched in the second half of the loss and finished with just 19 minutes.
Is Kerr The Problem?
At just 21 years old, Jonathan Kuminga still has a lot to prove in the league but Warriors fans have been clamoring for Kerr to carve out a bigger role for him in the rotation. Initially, Kuminga was coming off the bench and his status from game to game was totally inconsistent. Eventually, after Draymond went down, Kuminga was given the nod as a starter and many thought he would finally settle into his permanent role. This season, after all, has been his best with averages of 12.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game on 50.6% shooting.
Instead, it’s only been more mixed messaging from Kerr. After the loss to Denver this week, he did his best to offer an explanation for the benching but it did nothing to quell the outrage from fans. Today, many are calling for Kerr’s job and using his weird history with Kuminga as proof that it’s time for the Warriors to move on. As it stands, we know that the Dubs will choose Kerr over Kuminga every single time but at what point do the Warriors look at themselves and decide that serious change need to be made?
Turmoil In Golden State
Jonathan Kuminga’s role is not the only problem with the Dubs this year. At 16-18 on the season, they’ve been painfully mediocre for months now and there are no signs that the bleeding will stop. And while Kerr is focused on benching Kuminga, it’s actually the core veterans who have disappointed the most. Klay Thompson is arguably the biggest let-down this season as his shooting efficiency and effectiveness on defense have seen a massive drop-off from his prime.
There’s also longtime veteran Draymond Green. His defense is still pretty solid but he’s having trouble staying on the floor this season thanks to several instances of losing control. With no word yet on when he will return, it’s left the Warriors to survive on their own without their best defensive player. Needless to say, it’s been a rough stretch for the dynasty but they still have so much to be proud of after all these years and that’s more that can be said for many players today. Kuminga or not, the Dubs still have a chance to make some noise and only a fool would count them out while they’re still in the hunt.
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