The Golden State Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets 95-85 in a defensive fight to win Game 1 of their first-round playoff clash. If they can win Game 2, they will have a series lead going into San Francisco. But one of Golden State’s top players hasn’t been on the court for any of this.
In a contentious decision, head coach Steve Kerr benched forward Jonathan Kuminga during the Warriors’ regular season finale against the Los Angeles Clippers. Kuminga hasn’t played in the two games since that switch, and it doesn’t appear that he will be returning to the starting lineup anytime soon. Kerr conveyed a message to the young forward when he was questioned about the move.
“Jonathan [Kuminga] has been fantastic. His attitude, his energy on the bench, cheering guys on, staying ready. He’s a great, great young guy,” Kerr said on Willard & Dibs. “This has been tough on him, but he’s doing exactly what he should be doing, which is staying ready.”
Kuminga has been scoring 9.4 points per game on average for his previous five games before to being benched. His role saw a big adjustment following the signing of Jimmy Butler, as evidenced by the figures.
“I’ve told him, and our coaches have told him things can change in a heartbeat in the NBA,” Kerr added. “He’s got to just be ready for when his time comes and that’s exactly what he’s doing. I would be surprised if at some point his time doesn’t come. When you’re in a good groove, you just keep doing what you’re doing and then you adjust as you go.”
Kuminga’s future is uncertain at this time, however it seems less probable that it will be in Golden State in the future.
