‘I don’t mind those comments at all’: Steve Kerr responds to Jonathan Kuminga’s remarks about his role with Golden State Warriors
SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Kerr says he isn’t bothered by Jonathan Kuminga’s recent comments regarding his role, which popped up after the third-year forward got benched in favor of Andrew Wiggins during Golden State’s loss to the Nuggets on Christmas Day.
“I don’t mind those comments at all,” the Warriors head coach said Wednesday after practice. “Every guy wants to play, and JK’s a really talented guy. Every game, I have to read the game. And Wiggs was our best player, he’s playing in that position — we decided to go with Wiggs down the stretch.
“Those are easy decisions for me. The game before, I think JK finished. He was playing great. It’s just going to vary from game to game for everybody. That’s just where our team is now, where JK is too.”
Kuminga only played 3:35 in the fourth quarter against the Nuggets, getting usurped by Wiggins. He’d scored 13 points on 4-for-8 shooting, plus five rebounds in 23 minutes. On the year, he’s posting career-highs in points (12.5) and rebounds (3.8) per game.
Kuminga came short of complaining about his role, but expressed dissatisfaction in a postgame conversation with Marcus Thomspon II of The Athletic.
“Me with the ball, nobody’s guarding me,” Kuminga said. “But sometimes I’ve gotta take that away to make sure my OGs get the ball. That’s where it’s confusing. Sometimes, I come out the game not knowing what I did. And that messes with my head. It’s like, ‘What they want me to do?’ I can pass and I can do different s—.”
The No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 draft has scored in double-digits in each game in December. Kerr has praised Kuminga, recently saying “I think this is the best stretch of basketball he’s ever played.”
From Kerr’s vantage point, Kuminga has made strides in more subtle areas, rather than the highlight reel putback dunks — which have been aplenty. Kuminga is rotating on the weak side defensively, making the extra pass more often and refraining from clogging up the offense with isolations.
Despite those developments, Kuminga’s playing time has still fluctuated. Because of those developments, Kerr can definitely live with Kuminga’s frustration.
Kuminga is averaging 21.7 minutes per game, seventh most on the team. Although he ranks sixth among Warriors in fourth quarter minutes, he has scored the second-most points in the final frame behind only Stephen Curry.
Much of Kuminga’s success recently has been because of his growth in terms of decision-making. His shot-selection has been excellent, with 59.6 percent of his attempts coming on either zero or one dribbles, which fits his strengths as a play finisher rather than creator. Kuminga is at his best slashing to the hoop, crashing the offensive glass, and taking catch-and-shoot 3s.
“I’m thrilled with JK’s development,” Kerr said. “I think what he’s doing a better job of now is just getting the ball out of his hands quickly when it comes to him. So it’s a quick swing-swing when we have an advantage. I’ve seen him get five or six assists in the past three games where he’s caught it and immediately swung it to Steph or Klay for an open shot. And those plays are really the ones he wasn’t seeing.”
Kuminga is also taking 58.3 percent of his shots from 10 feet or closer to the basket, meaning he’s rarely settling.
Minutes are just hard to come by for the Warriors, though. And it won’t get easier when Gary Payton II (calf) and Draymond Green (indefinite suspension) eventually return. Golden State has been reluctant to play Kuminga and Wiggins together — though Kerr said they’ll experiment more with the pair — and Brandin Podziemski’s unexpected emergence has gobbled up wing minutes.
Even at less than full strength, Moses Moody has been on the periphery of the rotation and Kuminga’s role isn’t cemented game-to-game.
“I am a difference-maker,” Kuminga told The Athletic. “I know I am. But it’s not up to me to do certain things. How can I say it? It’s not up to me to control my minutes. I feel like I’ve done that. But the last voice ain’t mine. And it’s not easy because I know how to score the basketball. I know how to pass. I know how to do different things on the floor. But it’s about putting all that together. With the people we have on the floor, it’s just tough to put it all together. I’m trying to figure out how to manage that.”
The Warriors will be at their best if Kuminga reaches his ceiling. His combination of size and athleticism is rare even in a league of the greatest, tallest athletes in the world. But for the 21-year-old to reach his potential, he may have to cut down on his mistakes and recognize them quicker.
Kerr said he watched a ton of film with Kuminga before practice Wednesday to show him why he pulled him. Small mistakes can add up over 48-minute games.
“He’s still a young player with very little experience foundationally,” Kerr said. “There’s a lot of plays you just have to show him where the cut is, where the box-out is, where the right position to be in is. Because all these things matter when it comes to a one-possession game, like most of our games are. So you show him on film, and move on to the next day. He’s done a great job of really embracing coaching, and we’re going to continue to coach him, help him be in the right spots and make the right plays.”