The Golden State Warriors are hoping their season stabilizes soon, but much of that depends on one key factor: getting the best version of Jonathan Kuminga. And according to Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, that means honest conversations, accountability, and guidance that stretches beyond the court.

Kuminga has missed the last four games of the Warriors' road trip with knee tendinitis, but there’s optimism he’ll return during the upcoming five-game homestand, a stretch that will finally include multiple practices, something the team desperately needs. For Green, that practice time is exactly what Kuminga needs to be reintroduced with intention and purpose.

Jimmy Butler, who has made it a point this season to take Kuminga under his wing, echoed a similar message, but with a harder edge. Butler has emerged as the emotional mentor for Kuminga, often pulling him aside during games, guiding him through rough patches, and reminding him that his role is bigger than scoring.

“But with that, he has to understand it doesn’t mean just score,” Butler said. “I don’t mind taking the back seat to him… But you know what we'd better do? We better f—ing win.”

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Winning, Butler insists, is the only metric that matters. And for Kuminga to become the player Golden State needs, especially in a loaded Western Conference, he must embrace uncomfortable truths and consistent accountability.

Butler understands Kuminga’s frustration, even comparing it to his own experience late in his Miami tenure, when he questioned whether he was still wanted. That’s why he’s stepped up as the voice Kuminga listens to, because the young forward has “heard the same voices for years.”

“I just got to stay on him,” Butler said. “Let him know… we are in your corner. Just breathe… The people in it, we are not out to get you.”

The message is clear: Kuminga’s talent can change Golden State’s season. But it starts with trust, maturity, and the tough love he’s finally ready to accept.