Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors looks on from the bench against the Dallas Mavericks during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on Dec. 30, 2023, in San Francisco.
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
The 21-year-old Golden State player has “lost faith” in Kerr’s ability to develop him further, Shams Charania reports. This news comes after Kuminga — after racking up 16 points, four assists and four rebounds in 19 minutes — sat for the final 18 minutes of the Warriors’ heartbreaking 130-127 loss to the Nuggets on Thursday. Charania’s source told him that the game was “the straw that broke the camel’s back” for Kuminga.
Astute observers clued into Kuminga’s possible feelings about his playing time by looking at the Warriors’ bench immediately after Nikola Jokic’s game-winning shot from near half-court. The second the ball went through the net, Kuminga headed toward the tunnel, arms crossed.
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Playing time has been a public concern for Kuminga dating back to last postseason, when he lamented, “It’s tough going through this season and being in (the game) most of the time and then things just flip out of nowhere without you knowing what’s going on.” After the Dubs were eliminated from the playoffs, Kuminga’s camp let the media know that he’d want to play somewhere else if his minutes didn’t improve. Later in the offseason, Kerr seemed to respond with a thinly veiled shot at Kuminga’s complaints, in a podcast appearance with a Dubs veteran who punched a former member of the young core.
“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—t,” the young forward said.
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“Yeah, I am a difference-maker,” Kuminga later added. “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.”
Kerr took no issue with the comments, but still defended his rotations. One of the bigger questions that has emerged this season is whether Kuminga can play alongside Andrew Wiggins. The two players share similar skill sets, but whether they can be on the court at the same time is still up for debate. In 131 minutes together this season, the pair has a minus-21.5 net rating, according to NBA.com.
In Kerr’s defense, it’s not exactly an easy decision. Still, it’s safe to say he might be running out of time to make it. After Thursday’s loss, Kuminga commented on the Dubs’ erratic approach to end-of-game lineups.
“It’s tricky. Since I’ve been here, we don’t have just five guys that we know that they’re supposed to be on the floor whenever it’s closing time,” Kuminga said. “It’s a little, I don’t know how to say it, it’s a little weird. I’ve been here for three years now, I’m used to it. I’m never surprised when I see a lineup change at the end of the game or even in the game. It’s a culture thing.”
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On its own, that comment is a simple observation. But with the context of Friday’s report, it’s a much sharper criticism. For what it’s worth, Kuminga isn’t the only one who has problems with Kerr’s rotation. KRON4 sports director Jason Dumas reported Thursday that Moses Moody’s camp is also “frustrated” at the lack of playing time for the third-year guard.
The Warriors sit at 16-18 so far this season, good for 11th in a very competitive Western Conference. There’s still time to right the ship, but with players at least on the edge of revolt, it’ll make that plan much, much more difficult.
