The Golden State Warriors started off their chase for a championship perfectly as they took Game 1 against the Houston Rockets on the road.

Golden State will now look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead on Wednesday in Game 2 before heading home for Game 3 and 4.

While the Warriors were able to take Game 1 behind stellar performances from their star trio of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, head coach Steve Kerr continued to bench one of their promising young players.

That player is Jonathan Kuminga, who has now been benched by Kerr for Golden State’s last three games.

Of course, this is an interesting decision by Kerr who has said in the past that he is doing it because of Kuminga’s fit next to Butler.

Kerr did make another statement regarding Kuminga on Tuesday though that should give the young forward hope.

“Jonathan has been fantastic,” Kerr said. “His attitude, his energy on the bench, cheering guys on, staying ready. This has been tough on him, but he’s doing exactly what he should be doing, which is staying ready. I’ve told him, and our coaches have told him things can change in a heartbeat in the NBA. 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.”

“Jonathan [Kuminga] has been fantastic. His attitude, his energy on the bench, cheering guys on, staying ready. He’s a great, great young guy. This has been tough on him, but he’s doing exactly what he should be doing, which is staying ready.

I’ve told him, and our coaches have… pic.twitter.com/FaDrCK9423

"Jonathan [Kuminga] has been fantastic. His attitude, his energy on the bench, cheering guys on, staying ready. He's a great, great young guy. This has been tough on him, but he's doing exactly what he should be doing, which is staying ready.

I've told him, and our coaches have… pic.twitter.com/FaDrCK9423

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 23, 2025

While Kuminga will still likely remain on the bench for Game 2 on Wednesday, Kerr’s statement should be an intriguing one for the young forward.

Kerr mentioned that he would be surprised if Kuminga was not asked to have a role at some point during the playoffs, which could allow him to break into the rotation once again.

If this ends up not happening, it will be an interesting offseason for Kuminga and the Warriors, especially with him being a restricted free agent.

Despite this, it seems as though Kerr could lean towards playing Kuminga later in the playoffs, which would be a massive boost for his future with the franchise.