- Jonathan Kuminga has become a key starter for the Golden State Warriors this season.
- Steve Kerr confirmed his decision about Kuminga’s status in the rotation moving forward.
- Kuminga’s strong defense and recent contract extension highlight his increasing role.
The Golden State Warriors have started the season with three wins in four games, and fifth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga has played a pivotal role for head coach Steve Kerr. The 23-year-old has started all four games for the Warriors thus far, putting up 18.0 points on 58.1% shooting, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 triples in 31.3 minutes per contest.
Kuminga has proven he can be a big-time player for the Warriors when called upon, prompting a crucial decision from Coach Kerr. The four-time NBA champion coach made an announcement about Kuminga on Tuesday ahead of their game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
It was an eventful offseason for Kuminga, whose contract negotiations with the Warriors dragged on for weeks. Ultimately, both parties were able to find common ground, with the 6-foot-8 forward signing a two-year extension worth $46.5 million.
With the help of Steph Curry and the rest of the Warriors’ leadership group, Kuminga has done well to put all this behind him and focus on what he does best. Right now, the Democratic Republic of Congo native is proving that he’s worth every penny of his big-money deal.
So much so that Kerr has made a decision on Kuminga’s status as a starter for the foreseeable future.
“Yes, he’ll start tonight, and he will be our starter going forward,” Kerr said on Tuesday. “He’s been fantastic. Last night, put him on Ja. Tonigh,t we will put him on James Harden. I think he’s ready.”
As Kerr implied in his statement, Kuminga’s value also comes from his ability to defend the best player on the opposing team. On Monday, the Warriors held Ja Morant to 23 points on 8-of-23 shooting and 0-of-6 from three-point territory. Kuminga will be hoping to carry over this defensive tenacity against former MVP James Harden on Tuesday night.
After the Clippers, the Warriors get Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night. That will be a road game for Golden State, with the Bucks hosting the contest at Fiserv Forum.
