Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green admits his head coach Steve Kerr struggled in trying to maximize Jonathan Kuminga's potential over the years. Following Kuminga and the Warriors' two-year extension, there's been an underlying feeling of optimism for Golden State's 2025-26 campaign — its first full season since Jimmy Butler was added before last year's trade deadline.
Still, Green isn't afraid to admit that it took years for Kerr to adapt to Kuminga as a player, he said, per Yahoo Sports' Boardroom.
“Jonathan Kuminga is different than any player Steve Kerr has ever coached. That type of athleticism, that skill set at that age, and the demeanor and mindset that Jonathan Kuminga has is a mix of things that Steve Kerr has never had to coach,” Green said. “And to think that, man, after six months, you're just going to adjust to that, you know, like no, it takes some time to adjust to that, right?
“And I think he's adjusted and learned this kid, year after year after year, and become more familiar with how to coach him.”
However, Draymond Green understands there was a process that Kuminga had to go through.
“That takes some time when the guys you coached is Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, you know, like when me and Klay are a lot alike, right? Like Steph and Klay are a lot of like,” Green added. “Like those are coaching completely different people. It takes some time to figure that out. What I can say is, I’ve watch him put the time in to work and figure that out.”
Steve Kerr on Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga's ‘maturity'
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Jonathan Kuminga found common ground as the veteran's growth on and off the court coincides with the team's attempt to ascend to the upper echelon of the Western Conference. Kerr revealed the strides he's seen in Kuminga with 95.7 The Game's Willard and Dibs.
“[Jonathan Kuminga] has really matured,” Kerr said.
“The veteran players have really helped him in training camp. Jimmy [Butler] has been working with him after practice. I just think JK is in a much better place now than he was even a year ago. Some of that is just a comfort level with the team around him. Some of that is growth and maturity that you expect from a young player. I know that I'm really excited about how he's progressed both on and off the court. He's going to be a huge part of what we do this year.”
Kuminga finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in the Warriors' 119-109 win against the Lakers on Opening Night.
