The Golden State Warriors have hit their first rough patch of the NBA season. Starting the year on fire, Golden State has now lost three-straight games for the first time this season. The most recent loss came to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a game that Steph Curry did not play due to injury.
The Warriors trailed by as many as 19 points in this game, but had a chance to tie on the final possession. Making a nice pass to a cutting Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green found his teammate for the game-tying layup attempt. A bit off-balance, Wiggins was unable to convert, and Oklahoma City escaped with a victory.
Arena view of that deciding possession. Looked like Andrew Wiggins had a crack of space and plenty of time to tie it, but looked off-balance and rushed on missed layup over recovering Lu Dort. pic.twitter.com/ajC0ad6QDA
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 28, 2024
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made a starting lineup change for this game, subbing in Brandin Podziemski for the injured Curry, and also inserting Jonathan Kuminga into the starting five.
“Steph not being there definitely influences things for us,” Kerr explained after the game. “Pairing Trayce [Jackson-Davis] and Draymond without Steph, without a pick and roll player, makes it really tricky offensively. So that’s why I did it.”
Steve Kerr started small because he said he didn’t want to pair Draymond/TJD without Steph Curry. But Kerr said his “gut” would be to move back to the big starting lineup (with Kuminga back to the bench) when Curry returns. pic.twitter.com/M8VYVb4iAC
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 28, 2024
Kuminga had 19 points on just 8/21 shooting. Resharing a highlight dunk from the young forward, Green sent a strong message to him on Instagram.
“Just live in your promise,” Green wrote. “Be the ⭐️ are Young! It’s time”
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green sends a message to teammate Jonathan Kuminga. / money23green / Instagram
The Warriors reportedly held Kuminga out of multiple different trade scenarios this offseason, showing a lot of belief in the former lottery pick. Kuminga’s minutes and role have not quite reflected that belief this season, as he has started only four games and is averaging just 23 minutes per contest.
Because the Warriors are still in win-now mode, Kerr is not going to give Kuminga extended minutes solely for the purpose of his development. Averaging 13.6 points on 43.8% from the field and 30.5% from deep, Kuminga has shown flashes this season, but has not been as consistent as the team would like to see.
