Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is considering all options on the table — including playing Jonathan Kuminga — in the win-or-go-home Game 7 against the Houston Rockets.
“100% he’s on the table,” Kerr told reporters after the Warriors lost in Game 6.
But he’s also faced with several questions on how to optimize his lineups if he deploys Kuminga on the floor.
“I thought he played well in Game 3 when we started him, especially defensively,” Kerr said of Kuminga 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.
“The key is what’s the combination around him? We know they’re in zone [defense] an awful lot. 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.”
Kuminga had only seen action in two games of the series — both instances came with Jimmy Butler unavailable.
Jimmy Butler Stands in the Way
Kerr has been reluctant to play Kuminga and Butler together because of the spacing issues they present since they are both non-shooting wings that will struggle against the Rockets’ zone defense.
“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.”
Butler’s minutes have been in the 40s in the games that have been competitive until the fourth quarter in the series, leaving Kerr with little to no playing time to spare for Kuminga, who plays the same position as the six-time NBA All-Star.
Kuminga earning little to no trust from Kerr is a major blow to his upcoming restricted free agency.
Jonathan Kuminga’s Confidence Shattered by DNPs
Kuminga’s confidence dipped as he got six DNPs in the Warriors’ last eight games — the most important games of their season to date.
After filling in for the injured Butler for the remainder of Game 2 and playing 26 minutes in Game 3 with Butler unavailable, Kuminga was hard on himself.
“It wasn’t all great,” Kuminga bluntly said after Game 2. “I feel like I could have done better. I’m just trying to figure out where to be, what to do, how can I play — just things like that. We did not end up winning, but so far I feel like I just went out and played hard.”
But with no defined role, Kuminga admitted it’s difficult to find a rhythm on the court.
“I work out every day. I played with some of the guys here the other day and I just try to have a good spirit every single day. The more my spirit is where I want, that’s how I stay ready,” Kuminga said. “It is tough, for any player it’s going to be tough, but what am I going to do about it. At the end of the day, what are you going to do about it?”
Kuminga averaged 21.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in four games against the Rockets in the regular season. It’s his second-highest scoring average against any single opponent this season. But he’s struggled to find his rhythm — averaging 9.0 points on 36.8% shooting — in the little opportunities he got in this series.
“It’s like I say, you just got to stay ready,” Kuminga said. “Whenever your moment happens, it’s going to happen. But for me it’s kind of… like tough. There’s really nothing I can do about it. You know, can’t complain about it, can’t do anything about it. If I don’t play, it’s the coach’s decision.”
