Jonathan Kuminga’s play would make you believe that his future at the Golden State Warriors has never been in doubt. Kuminga’s play would never lead you to believe that he is a controversial player within and outside of the Golden State Warriors organization. Kuminga is everything the Warriors expected him to be. Five games into the 2025-2026 season, he has delivered. He scored 25 points in a 131 – 118 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, with 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and a blocked shot, all within 32 minutes. The next night he only played 26 minutes but finished with 9 points on 4-for-11, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and a block.Kuminga, in the locker room following Tuesday’s win over the Clippers, told me: “I would not want to be the one to ruin it.” “I’m growing. Now I am in my fifth year. I know what it means to win. And I know what I want to get — winning a championship.”There’s no bad blood, or anything of the sort. I don’t remember any bad feelings. The narrative and all the talk outside is all it is. We’re fine. We’re good.Kuminga isn’t the first player to have a good run of games at Golden State. It’s also not the first time that he has appeared on the same page with coach Steve Kerr. In March 2024, Kuminga was so pleased with how things were going that he said he wanted to be a “Warrior for life.” Now, Kuminga is saying and doing the right thing on the court. Kuminga’s talent and potential were too great to let him go or trade him. (And nobody else was getting to the line or putting pressure on rims.) The talent and potential are still there, but Kuminga is fitting right in. Kerr is comfortable with Kuminga starting next to Green or Jimmy Butler. Kuminga helps the team, even when he doesn’t score.
Kuminga, speaking to the San Francisco Standard said: “I’m just not trying to do a lot.” There are nights when they will want me to go out and do more. There are nights, like tonight, where you just have to do what needs to be done, no matter what is going on. Stay positive and keep moving forward.Kuminga isn’t perfect. In the Clippers match, he lost the ball twice within a minute. He doesn’t take long 2s and, when there is no open shot or driving lane, moves the ball quickly. Golden State wanted him to be a better decision-maker and to also pester the opposing star players. Kuminga’s only task is to continue this trend, which he seems determined to do. Kuminga, speaking to the San Francisco Standard said: “I am not sitting here and thinking that I will keep these minutes.” “I need to earn those minutes.” He added that Kerr had been told that, even if it wasn’t his night, “he won’t get mad,” and would “do things that will help our win.”
While it may seem silly to reward a player just for making simple passes or deferring to the future Hall of Famer, this is exactly what we should do. It’s important in this instance. Kuminga’s ability to score more than 30 points was well-known by the Warriors. It was only a matter of proving that he can score nine points in a game and still be able to have a positive experience.
2025-10-30 20:11:42
