Getty Jonathan Kuminga looks on during a Golden State Warriors game.
Golden State Warriors wing Jonathan Kuminga has had a disappointing start to his sophomore season, but he’s still got the backing of his head coach.
Kuminga fell out of coach Steve Kerr’s rotation early this season as he struggled on both sides of the court and faced rumors of a poor work ethic. While Kuminga may still have more work get back into the regular rotation, Kerr seemed to quash rumors that the 2021 lottery pick has “coachability” and work ethic concerns.
Kerr Praises Kuminga’s Hard Work
As reporter Kylen Mills noted, Kerr went out of his way to praise Kuminga’s work ethic this week. Speaking to reporters on November 9, the Warriors coach said Kuminga had been working hard at practice and had a good attitude.
“Steve Kerr says Jonathan Kuminga showed up to practice today with a great mindset, approach & worked really hard,” Mills tweeted. “Kerr says JK has really been putting his head down & working. Kerr’s comments seem to contradict reports out there about JK’s work ethic, coachability.”
As Mills noted, there have been reports questioning Kuminga’s work ethic dating back to the summer after his rookie season. In an August appearance on ESPN’s First Take, analyst Stephen A. Smith said there were rumblings about the budding Warriors star having a bad attitude.
“I expect [Moses] Moody and [James] Wiseman to be significant. I’m worried about Kuminga. I’m hearing too many things about him off the court in terms of his head. The level of discipline he lacks. You understand? Some of the foolishness,” Smith said.
Kuminga Struggles in Second Season
Though he was able to play his way into the rotation in the back half of his rookie season and made some important contributions during the team’s title run, Kuminga has taken a step backward at the start of his second NBA season. He fell out of Kerr’s rotation entirely early this year, though earned his way back in with a strong performance in a November 4 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans in a game when the veteran core of the Warriors — Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins — all rested.
Kuminga was back in the rotation for the team’s November 7 win over the Sacramento Kings, scoring five points. It was still not the most efficient performance, however, with Kuminga turning in a negative-17 in plus-minus during his nine minutes.
Kerr seemed to understand Kuminga’s struggles, noting that young players today are coming to the NBA without the same kind of experience as players from his generation.
“It’s so hard,” Kerr said, via a report from The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “In the league now, we are doing the work that, 20 years ago, college coaches were doing. Back then, the scouts could watch a guy for three years. I always talk about Tim Duncan and David Robinson. They each had four years of college. There was a reason they were great once they got there. Their freshman years, they weren’t that great. Their sophomore years, they started getting better. But they spent four years learning how to play, growing up, maturing, learning their bodies, gaining confidence. Because instead of trying to go up against the Knicks and Patrick Ewing, you’re going up against Canisius. Nothing against Canisius.”
The 20-year-old Kuminga didn’t play in college, instead jumping straight from high school to the G League. He played just 12 games in the G League bubble before being drafted by the Warriors.
It’s clear the Warriors’ decision makers are having continued discussions on best rotation tweaks. That includes idea of getting youth (Poole, Kuminga) more time with starters, “but you also have a starting unit that has the best net rating in the league”
Full Kerr soundbite
As Slater noted, Kerr has toyed with the idea of giving young players like Kuminga and Jordan Poole more time in lineups with the team’s veteran players.