Jonathan Kuminga was on the court for 16 minutes Friday night and it could be the start of expanded playing time for the Warriors‘ rookie forward, according to Alex Shultz of SFGate. Kuminga made the most of his opportunity, scoring eight points and playing strong defense on the Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan.
It was only the sixth game of the season for the No. 7 overall pick, whose progress was slowed by a strained patella in the preseason and later spent time in the G League. Head coach Steve Kerr indicated that Kuminga made “huge strides” in practice recently and Friday’s extra playing time was a reward for that effort.
“As long as he goes out there and runs the floor, plays defense, takes care of the ball and passes like he did tonight, we’re going to continue to give him opportunities,” Kerr said.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Klay Thompson continues to make “steady progress” in his recovery from Achilles surgery and could be ready to play in five to six weeks, tweets basketball writer Jordan Schultz. Sources tell Schultz that Thompson is in “great shape” and is close to being cleared for five-on-five play. That lines up with a report earlier this week that Thompson could return prior to his target date of Christmas Day.
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant enjoys watching the on-court relationship between Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, writes Alex Didion of NBC Sports Bay Area. As Golden State was pulling away from Chicago Friday night, Morant tweeted “chemistry crazy” after Green set up Curry for an open three-pointer.
- In a mailbag column, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton addresses whether Kuminga, fellow rookie Moses Moody and second-year center James Wiseman can reach their potential on a title contending team where playing time is likely to be scarce. Pelton theorizes that players can improve enough through individual workouts and regular minutes in the G League that NBA playing time isn’t a vital part of the process.
Warriors will struggle some parts during the season
Looney, Poole and Wiggins are not starters material for west playoffs teams such as Jazz, Suns, Nuggets, Blazers, Mavs, Lakers and healthy Clippers
10th man?
That’s why James Wiseman and Klay Thompson are starters.
5th Man?…You said the Warriors wouldn’t beat Chicago. The game was over in the 2nd quarter, with Warriors winning it going away. Maybe you don’t know hoops as well as you think you do?
I said if Draymond did not play, Bulls would win
I thought Draymond was injured
But, Wiggins, Looney, and Poole did. This team is not playing like it is just Curry and Draymond.
At the time, I did not know Coby White was injured too
Lol
Bro come on, just say you were wrong
Yes, Coby White moves the needle decidedly in the bulls favour. Lmao.
@Sillivan
He may have been, but he aint soft…
Wiggins is fine AF starting with Steph/Klay/Dray/best matchup option. He is not a 32 M a year number 1 or 2, but as our number 4 option CTFO he is perfectly serviceable and the best we can get without sending out a lot of current and future value. Dont let Wiggins contract fool you into thinking he isnt a good NBA player. Him finding his role on offense while Klay works his way into the rotation is one good thing about having a nice record already, and Klay returning before the mid point of the year.
Nothing wrong in bringing a young player along slowly. They need to learn how to play and not learn bad habits. How great would it be to win a championship your first year.
Sometimes, I think people don’t pay attention to the obvious. The Warriors revamped their coaching staff to focus more on player development. Draymond says Kerr striped down the offense to start the season. Santa Cruz is running the exact same offense. That is why they are being so successful so far this year. All the new, and old, players don’t have to do a ton of thinking. Small goals lead to successes, which build up.
Wow, an intelligent comment on here. Rational and well stated, congrats that doesn’t happen here very often…lol
The offense sure looks like the complicated movement form we know and love, Steph is at his lowest rate of pick and roll of his career, they simply got high IQ players that fit the system much better. The guys that stayed from the previous couple years worked in the system like JTA/Lee and having more pieces that already know the system lets us avoid the type of adjustment/New guys learning we did to start last season. Most of the pieces that finished the year hot are back, and the new ones are guys like Iggy that know the system and OPJ/Nem who are high IQ. They lead the league in assists and are passing like mad.
More high IQ plyers this year. Reason Payton is having success in the system. Some players do not rotate like they should and exposes the defense.
I just cannot see anyone beating this team. The season wins record might go down, GSW is literally twice as good as everyone now, and then add Klay and Wiseman? 79-3 on the table. Absurd team building by Lacob, all hats off to him, he made a team of unbeatable, all-high IQ guys who can carry out Kerr’s complex gameplans he builds around Steph Curry, who by the way is leading the NBA in non-C DWS tied with Dray and PG13.
Also it was just announced Klay and Wiseman are playing 5-on-5 now and GSW left some coaches behind on this road trip to watch them. Winter is coming….
I would think the defenses of GSW vs MIA would be a pretty good matchup. Also a healthy Bucks team is quite scary since Giannis is just so hard to stop period. Those would be the scariest matchups. BRK I think is easy since they play terrible D while being matched with a top offense and D. We can throw GPII at Harden and Dray at KD even dig that janky D we have been rolling out, and box and 1 either if the other is sitting.
@Marty
No hate but they’ve played 3 teams with a record above .500. Lakers, Clippers and Bulls. They really haven’t been tested.
Hopefully anyone watching last night’s Warriors-Bulls game can see the major importance of Draymond Green. He is and has been the last seven years, a huge part of the Warriors success on both ends of the floor.
If you were watching you could really see his play on defense and rebounding and on offense. He’s truly an amazing player and everyone who says he’s not, I would have to disagree with.
His defense on the ball and help defense, his tips of the ball to a teammate for a rebound, his Vision on offense.., he’s just so huge for the Warriors because he does so much that the other guys don’t do. I’m a warrior fan and I was amazed watching last night’s game.
Agreed, it’s never been made so viscerally-obvious that Draymond makes everyone around him better than this year. Like, no one has been like this. The adjustments he knows how to convey to his teammates mid-play is #1 all-time, no one knows how to do that so perfectly other than Draymond.
His chemistry with Steph, Klay and KD is/was incredible to watch, which creates the paradox as Dray’s skill level is only exposed when playing with those specific players, which speaks volumes of how well he plays with everyone else and how skilled he is otherwise, but with Steph comes the turnovers, simply because these plays Steph/KD/Klay want to pull off are extremely difficult ones. But with players with normal NBA skill levels, Dray is still right there and belongs on everyone’s current top 25 lists for sure.
It has taken you 8 years to figure that out? Draymond has said in the past that he values his assists over scoring.
Who are you? I’ve been here eight years. You just come on the last couple weeks.
@gary I was talking about Marty. I’ve been coming to this site when it was only MLB trade rumors, and no comment section.
Got it. I went back and reread what he wrote and he didn’t mention anything about being personally amazed recently. I’m the one that said that.., like I’m just now realizing it. So I
thought it was me. All good bro.
@gary No prob. I just think sometimes people under rate Drays full value to the Warriors. I think Dray was what Don Nelson was looking for when he drafted C. Webb.
I remember calling in sick that day and coming home to watch the draft. I had the TV going and the radio going to hear all the analysis possible. Then I almost came apart when they announced the trade. It was going to be the greatest year in the history of mankind until Hardaway tore his ACL in Camp. The rest is history LOL.
@gary Oh, the pains and joys of being a fan. I learned to not expect to much, and the be surprised and happy about what happens.
He is the Matt Cain of out performing his peripherals. He doesnt rack up blocks like Myles or boards like Gobert, but he is better than both at D and can stop a 4 on 1 better than any player in history. Always out pitching his FIP, but no defense becomes better no matter the pieces with one player added like him.
It’s not much of a stretch for the 43rd highest paid player in the NBA right now to belong on everyone’s current top 25 list. Draymond’s their glue guy.
79-3 Marty? It’s not on the table, don’t be ridiculous. And twice as good as everyone?
Even when they get Klay and Wiseman back they won’t be twice as good as everyone.
If everything goes perfectly the rest of the season, maybe they go 73-9 again. Maybe.
They won 70 games before. It is still within the realm of possibility.
70 wins may be within the realm of possibility since they’re on pace for 75 right now. But Marty, as usual, thinks the team is unbeatable.
If Klay looks like he did in the finals right before he was hurt, and Wiseman has developed a lot on D while unlocking most of his offensive potential I could see them choosing between chasing the record and keeping fresh for the playoffs. It seemed though that that season burned them since they set the record and lost the finals so now they are top to bottom bought in on not chasing anything in season because Boats are all that matter. Look at how often Steph or Dray is one off a double or triple double in one category and they never come back in to get it in a blowout.
I would love just once when Stephs on a heater vs a bad team if they just feed him and let him try to hit a century. The team score like 156 with everyone feeding him possessions to get Wilt there. Like let him try to hit 30 3Ps on 50 attempts at least once before he retires.
it only matters if you can win the championship too.
Yes illowa, absolutely, and I think that’s why they won’t go for a huge win total. Yes the number one seed is a good goal of any great team, but even 65 wins ain’t happening with this squad. Huge win totals is not the goal.
Plus injuries and other things happen like a little losing streak Etc. It’s a long long season and these things like look at Otto Porter. He gets bumped in the leg and he’s out with ice packs and declared sitting for the game. Sure he surprisingly came back but couple guys go down and suddenly the Warriors are relying on rookies and Jordan Poole again. But things are looking up and the Warriors are in a good spot.
Warriors have had the softest schedule so far. 11 game season would be so boring. The good thing is their regulars seem healthy. So their three top picks can only add to their numbers. Kuminga and Wiseman will make a big impact. Not winning in playoffs without a real Big. Always good to get off to good start. It’s a long season. Gotta think long term if you are talking about winning.
Kuminga must play more, he can very well be the best player of the draft, but he can’t prove it if he ain’t playing!
I must admit I am pretty shocked that he isn’t the starter 3 ahead of Wigs… really thought that would have happened by now, hopefully will soon enough!
He has some of the highest upside in the draft, but he is a one and done who is 19 and is still learning. There is no way he should be the starting 3 unless he earns it with every chance to play he gets. Most rookies dont contribute positively even really good ones who blossom. Just hope the team keeps doing good so they will have the luxury of giving him more opportunities to grow for next season and beyond. We will lose people this year since a lot of role players are on one years or expiring so if he proves he is ready next year he will get a bigger role.
El Don, there’s much more in play here than just who you want in the starting lineup. Remember Wiggins makes 30 million dollars and if you bench him and he’s a 12 pt a game guy, his value crumbles. Now he’s playing a big role and a 20-point guy who fills the stat sheet many ways.
He still has value if a trade happens around the deadline. I don’t want him in the game in the fourth quarter of a playoff matchup either but you can’t bench a guy who’s a pretty good Creator off the wing. Those guys are hard to find, especially when Steph is off the floor and Green is taking a breather.
Kuminga has been hurt. That’s the biggest thing holding him back. Cause I think he could’ve been starting next to Green. And Wiggins at the 2. Imo he will be starting soon enough. Gotta be healthy to play. To me Wiseman is the one who will make the biggest impact this yr. Warriors gotta feel great to be winning without these two playing.
@eldon the warriors are 11-1 without playing Kuminga. They are doing just fine lol. That’s what happens when you get drafted to a good team. Go upvote your own posts some more bro.
Quickest up vote in the history of hoopsrumors. Three seconds after his post is loaded LOL.
#freekuminga