Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has reportedly “lost faith” in head coach Steve Kerr according to Shama Charania of The Athletic. This news comes after the player was benched for the final 18 minutes of the game against the Denver Nuggets, despite being a significant player for the Warriors scoring 16 points, recording four assists, and four rebounds in the loss.
As said by Charania in his report, a source told him that the benching was “the straw that broke the camel’s back” which led to the aforementioned feelings of Kuminga to Kerr. Besides the seventh overall pick in 2021 believing he has “lost faith” in the head coach, he also feels that the head coach “won't let him reach his full potential.”
Kerr explaining the benching of Kuminga
What is more confusing is that Kuminga was having a solid game as in his 19 minutes of playing time as he scored 16 points, making five of his seven shots and had a team-high plus-six. The Warriors needed some juice after they lost a 19-point lead to the defending champions, but did not go with Kuminga as Kerr explains to the media that he was playing “great,” but stayed with Andrew Wiggins.
“He was playing great,” Kerr said. “His normal time to go back in would have been around the five-, six-minute mark [of the fourth]. [Andrew Wiggins] was playing great, we were rolling, were up 18, 19, whatever it was. So we just stayed with him. Then at that point, it didn’t feel like the right thing to do. He had been sitting for a while. So I stayed with the group that was out there, and obviously, we couldn’t close it out.”
Kuminga gives his thoughts on the benching
Kuminga spoke to the media after the Warriors' loss and said he was not surprised with the decision at the end of the game to not play him. He calls it a “tricky” situation in terms of the rotations and lineups.
“It’s tricky. Since I’ve been here, we don’t have just five guys that we know that they’re supposed to be on the floor whenever it’s closing time,” Kuminga said. “It’s a little, I don’t know how to say it, it’s a little weird. I’ve been here for three years now, I’m used to it. I’m never surprised when I see a lineup change at the end of the game or even in the game. It’s a culture thing.”
As said by Kuminga, this isn't the first time Kerr has made a decision like this. Even on Golden State's Christmas Day game against the Nuggets, Kuminga expressed some frustration to The Athletic about being benched in the pivotal moments of the game.
“Sometimes, I come out the game not knowing what I did,” Kuminga said. “And that messes with my head. It’s like, ‘What they want me to do?’ I can pass and I can do different s—.”
It remains to be seen how this situation will play out as the Warriors are 16-18 on the season which puts them at eleventh in the Western Conference. Golden State's next game is Friday night against the Detroit Pistons who lost 28 straight games at one point this season.
Follow Us
Subscribe