Steve Kerr’s defensive options against the Houston Rockets get thinner as the Golden State Warriors‘ top perimeter defender, Gary Payton II, has been officially ruled out for Game 7 with an illness.
It’s a major blow for the Warriors, who faced enormous pressure on the road after squandering a 3-1 series lead against the No. 2 seed Rockets.
Payton II averaged 6.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in the first six games of the series.
Without the veteran guard, Kerr may finally turn to Jonathan Kuminga in the win-or-go-home game.
After losing in Game 6, Kerr said everything is now on the table, including Kuminga, who was DNP in six of the Warriors’ last eight games.
“100% he’s on the table,” Kerr said of Kuminga after the Warriors lost in Game 6.
Kuminga only played in the series when Jimmy Butler was unavailable due to a pelvis contusion.
“I thought [Kuminga] played well in Game 3 when we started him, especially defensively,” Kerr told reporters on the eve of Game 7 in Houston. “He did a good job on Jalen Green. I think that’s an area where he can help us. On-ball defense.
Kuminga set the defensive tone on Green, who was held to nine points in Game 3 after exploding for 38 in the Rockets’ Game 2 win.
Jonathan Kuminga’s On-Ball Defense in Game 3
Getty Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors celebrates a three-point basket against the Houston Rockets.
In Game 3, Kuminga defended Green for 16 possessions and limited him to only three attempts. The Rockets’ star shot 1-of-2 against him. As a team, the Rockets were 2-for-5 overall when Kuminga was the primary defender.
Kuminga’s defensive effort drew massive praise from the Warriors’ All-Defensive forward-center Draymond Green.
“I also want to speak about Jonathan Kuminga. His defense starting on Jalen Green was huge,” Green said on his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.” “When you don’t allow a guy to get a rhythm to start the game, that can change the game for offensive players. Jonathan Kuminga’s defensive pressure on the ball to start the game was humongous.”
If Kuminga has his number called in Game 7, he will have the chance to rewrite the narrative about him, especially if they pull it out to advance.
The 22-year-old Kuminga is in the pivotal season of his young career as he enters restricted free agency after this season.
Jimmy Butler Took Over Jonathan Kuminga’s Spot
Since Butler returned from his injury, Kuminga slid back to the end of the Warriors’ bench.
“The key is what’s the combination around him? We know they’re in zone [defense] an awful lot,” Kerr said of his Kuminga conundrum. “Can we find the right combination with JK, with the shooting and spacing, and passing we need to expose the zone? These are all the questions we’re asking.”
Kerr has been reluctant to play Kuminga and Butler together because of spacing issues.
“As I’ve made very clear, the arrival of Jimmy made the combinations much tougher for JK,” Kerr continued. “So that’s what’s been standing in his way. I’ve gotta feel the game. I’d love to get him out there because I think he can help us and do that early, I think that’d be helpful for him and for us.”
