Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors and head coach Steve Kerr stand on the sideline in overtime against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Nov. 2, 2024, in Houston.
Tim Warner/Getty Images
The Warriors opened up their NBA playoff run with an emphatic road win over the Rockets, but the chatter after the game has focused on statements Golden State is making off the court.
Steve Kerr still isn’t playing Jonathan Kuminga, as Sunday’s Game 1 marked the third straight game in which the fourth-year wing didn’t play at all. Based on what two veteran reporters covering the Warriors are saying, that isn’t expected to change anytime soon.
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San Francisco Standard columnist Tim Kawakami and the Athletic’s Anthony Slater briefly touched on Kuminga on the “Warriors Plus-Minus” podcast episode that dropped Monday. Both insiders made it clear that their read is Kerr isn’t budging.
“Every indication is that he’s out of the rotation, period,” Kawakami said. “Now, there might [be] change, right? They start losing a game, they lose a game, that might be adjusted. But it wasn’t going to be changed because the Rockets are so athletic. That was not gonna be changed.”
The Rockets’ youth and athleticism are why so many NBA analysts thought Kuminga would get back into the rotation. Kuminga had performed well in prior matchups against Houston and thus would be needed in order for the Warriors to beat the Rockets again in the playoffs, some argued.
Even Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy joined that chorus ahead of the Rockets series. In an interview with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina published Saturday, Dunleavy answered multiple Kuminga questions and expressed confidence that the 22-year-old would have a part to play against the Rockets.
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“They present some stuff athletically and physically that he can match,” Dunleavy said. “He’s got that type of size and athleticism on the defensive end to defend and rebound. And then on the offensive end, he’s able to finish, score and get to the basket. Those are things he can counteract with what they’re doing.
“So I think he’ll definitely have a role in this series and provide a boost for us.”
In Game 1, at least, Kerr seemed to disagree, leaning heavily on his starters. Jimmy Butler played 42 minutes, Steph Curry played nearly 40 minutes, Draymond Green played 36.5 minutes, and Brandin Podziemski played 35 minutes. Off the bench, Kerr stuck with Gary Payton II and Gui Santos as his go-to wing players, just like he did in the play-in game Tuesday.
“This is not like a per-series calculation. This is, ‘He is out of the rotation unless things change dramatically,’” Kawakami said. “And they win a game. They win Game 1 on the road. Is Steve Kerr gonna change his mind from there? I just think that decision has essentially been made.”
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It hasn’t been fully clear how Kuminga has reacted to the benching. He hasn’t spoken to the media since the regular-season finale, and reporters spotted him skipping pregame introductions and the opening tipoff for the play-in matchup with the Grizzlies. On his podcast on Monday, Kawakami said Kuminga was in “a very good mood” in Houston on Sunday and is “not pouting.”
Slater said he doesn’t want to keep discussing the former No. 7 pick’s ongoing situation until something changes — namely, if Kuminga actually plays in a game. But the reporter did add a nugget about the chatter he’s hearing regarding the 22-year-old.
“People that are close with Kuminga, people that are working with him, they are assuring me, the world, whoever, that he’ll be ready when asked, when called upon,” Slater said. “They’re saying he’s going to be ready for the moment, believing it will come at some point in these playoffs. We will see. We will see.”
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The next chance for Kuminga to play for the Warriors will be in Game 2, scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Pacific time in Houston.
