Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently addressed his reasons for reducing Jonathan Kuminga‘s minutes. In a conversation with “Willard and Dibs” on “95.7 The Game”, Kerr discussed the forward’s current position on the roster and how it has impacted his playing time.
“I have to read what we need. I have to read who’s playing well together. And to be very frank, the Jimmy / JK (Kuminga) combination has not been great, and that’s the tricky part here,” said Kerr.
“And I’m playing Jimmy 40 minutes a night because Jimmy is, he’s one of the very best players in the league. And there’s a reason we’re here and we’re in the seventh seed,” he continued. “So my job as a coach is to keep the team on a path that I think gives us the best chance to win. And for now, that’s why I’ve been leaning into the lineups that I have.”
Jonathan Kuminga hasn’t seen a drastic drop-off in his minutes. However, he has certainly seen a reduced role in the Warriors’ lineup since Jimmy Butler‘s arrival.
Kerr’s decision to bench Kuminga for the entirety of the game against the Los Angeles Clippers raised some eyebrows. Considering how well Butler has embraced his role, Kerr didn’t have much of an option other than giving more minutes to the star player.
This matter will be a cause for concern for the Warriors. The potentially tumultuous relationship between the player and the coach could breed some internal conflict, which would be rather unfavorable heading into the postseason.
Jonathan Kuminga Could Leave The Warriors Next Season
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has seen a significant reduction in quality playing time. Needless to say, this has had an impact on his numbers as well.
Before Butler became a part of Golden State’s rotation, Kuminga was notching an average of 16.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, this form took a hit after the forward suffered an injury and was sidelined till mid-March.
By the time he returned to the floor, Butler had already integrated with the Warriors to become a primary cog in the system. Following his return from injury, the 22-year-old forward saw his minutes reduced and his averages come down to 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
There is some suspicion that Kuminga may not be returning to the Warriors next season, as per the San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami. Kawakami suggested that the likelihood of the young forward coming back was going to be “tricky” and that Kuminga would certainly not be “galloping” towards signing a new deal.
Kuminga has undoubtedly been a valuable asset for the Warriors thus far. While his role has been reduced due to Jimmy Butler’s brilliant performances, Golden State could still feel a need to retain him in light of their upcoming playoff series against the second-seeded Houston Rockets.
