I do kind of mind those comments. It's like Kuminga still isn't mature,
and doesn't understand the concept of "someone else is playing better
than you right now." -AL

===============================================
‘I don’t mind those comments at all’: Steve Kerr responds to Jonathan
Kuminga’s remarks about his role with Golden State Warriors
Kuminga has scored in the double digits every game in December, but is
still without consistent role

>Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) celebrates his 3-point
basket in front of Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga (00) against
the Boston Celtics late in overtime at the Chase Center in San
Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area
News Group)

Danny Emerman is a Bay Area News Group sports reporter
By DANNY EMERMAN | demerman@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: December 27, 2023 at 3:01 p.m. | UPDATED: December 27, 2023
at 4:11 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/12/27/i-dont-mind-those-comments-at-all-steve-kerr-responds-to-jonathan-kumingas-remarks-about-his-role-with-golden-state-warriors/

SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Kerr says he isn’t bothered by Jonathan Kuminga’s
recent comments regarding his role, which popped up after the third-year
forward got benched in favor of Andrew Wiggins during Golden State’s
loss to the Nuggets on Christmas Day.

“I don’t mind those comments at all,” the Warriors head coach said
Wednesday after practice. “Every guy wants to play, and JK’s a really
talented guy. Every game, I have to read the game. And Wiggs was our
best player, he’s playing in that position — we decided to go with Wiggs
down the stretch.

“Those are easy decisions for me. The game before, I think JK finished.
He was playing great. It’s just going to vary from game to game for
everybody. That’s just where our team is now, where JK is too.”

Kuminga only played 3:35 in the fourth quarter against the Nuggets,
getting usurped by Wiggins. He’d scored 13 points on 4-for-8 shooting,
plus five rebounds in 23 minutes. On the year, he’s posting career-highs
in points (12.5) and rebounds (3.8) per game.

Kuminga came short of complaining about his role, but expressed
dissatisfaction in a postgame conversation with Marcus Thomspon II of
The Athletic.

“Me with the ball, nobody’s guarding me,” Kuminga said. “But sometimes
I’ve gotta take that away to make sure my OGs get the ball. That’s where
it’s confusing. Sometimes, I come out the game not knowing what I did.
And that messes with my head. It’s like, ‘What they want me to do?’ I
can pass and I can do different s—.”

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 draft has scored in double-digits in
each game in December. Kerr has praised Kuminga, recently saying “I
think this is the best stretch of basketball he’s ever played.”

From Kerr’s vantage point, Kuminga has made strides in more subtle
areas, rather than the highlight reel putback dunks — which have been
aplenty. Kuminga is rotating on the weak side defensively, making the
extra pass more often and refraining from clogging up the offense with
isolations.

Despite those developments, Kuminga’s playing time has still fluctuated.
Because of those developments, Kerr can definitely live with Kuminga’s
frustration.

Kuminga is averaging 21.7 minutes per game, seventh most on the team.
Although he ranks sixth among Warriors in fourth quarter minutes, he has
scored the second-most points in the final frame behind only Stephen Curry.

Much of Kuminga’s success recently has been because of his growth in
terms of decision-making. His shot-selection has been excellent, with
59.6 percent of his attempts coming on either zero or one dribbles,
which fits his strengths as a play finisher rather than creator. Kuminga
is at his best slashing to the hoop, crashing the offensive glass, and
taking catch-and-shoot 3s.

“I’m thrilled with JK’s development,” Kerr said. “I think what he’s
doing a better job of now is just getting the ball out of his hands
quickly when it comes to him. So it’s a quick swing-swing when we have
an advantage. I’ve seen him get five or six assists in the past three
games where he’s caught it and immediately swung it to Steph or Klay for
an open shot. And those plays are really the ones he wasn’t seeing.”

Kuminga is also taking 58.3 percent of his shots from 10 feet or closer
to the basket, meaning he’s rarely settling.

Minutes are just hard to come by for the Warriors, though. And it won’t
get easier when Gary Payton II (calf) and Draymond Green (indefinite
suspension) eventually return. Golden State has been reluctant to play
Kuminga and Wiggins together — though Kerr said they’ll experiment more
with the pair — and Brandin Podziemski’s unexpected emergence has
gobbled up wing minutes.

Even at less than full strength, Moses Moody has been on the periphery
of the rotation and Kuminga’s role isn’t cemented game-to-game.

“I am a difference-maker,” Kuminga told The Athletic. “I know I am. But
it’s not up to me to do certain things. How can I say it? It’s not up to
me to control my minutes. I feel like I’ve done that. But the last voice
ain’t mine. And it’s not easy because I know how to score the
basketball. I know how to pass. I know how to do different things on the
floor. But it’s about putting all that together. With the people we have
on the floor, it’s just tough to put it all together. I’m trying to
figure out how to manage that.”

>RELATED ARTICLES
Why Draymond Green's suspension has been a positive for the Warriors
Steve Kerr sounds off on officiating after Warriors’ Christmas loss
to Denver Nuggets
Warriors stars fall flat, drop Christmas game to Denver Nuggets
The latest on Draymond Green’s path back from indefinite suspension
How Klay Thompson’s hot hand and patience are fueling Warriors’
five-game win streak

The Warriors will be at their best if Kuminga reaches his ceiling. His
combination of size and athleticism is rare even in a league of the
greatest, tallest athletes in the world. But for the 21-year-old to
reach his potential, he may have to cut down on his mistakes and
recognize them quicker.

Kerr said he watched a ton of film with Kuminga before practice
Wednesday to show him why he pulled him. Small mistakes can add up over
48-minute games.

“He’s still a young player with very little experience foundationally,”
Kerr said. “There’s a lot of plays you just have to show him where the
cut is, where the box-out is, where the right position to be in is.
Because all these things matter when it comes to a one-possession game,
like most of our games are. So you show him on film, and move on to the
next day. He’s done a great job of really embracing coaching, and we’re
going to continue to coach him, help him be in the right spots and make
the right plays.”