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The Golden State Warriors' goal heading into Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets was to pick up a win. As the seven-seed, Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry knew that setting the tone early in this series and breaking home-court advantage would allow the Warriors to create a lot of momentum for themselves. While they achieved this with a hard-fought 95-85 win on Sunday, the Dubs did so without Jonathan Kuminga.
Steve Kerr has made it a point of emphasis to cut down on his rotations for the playoffs, and as a result, Kuminga has been left on the bench for three straight games. Before falling out of the rotation, Kuminga's minutes declined drastically since returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him for more than two months.
The 22-year-old forward has handled his demotion in the Warriors' rotation as well as he could and is staying ready for when his number will be called.
However, this remains the biggest question facing Golden State as Kerr doesn't seem to have a set plan for Kuminga at the start of this series. Kerr even recently went on 95.7 The Game and claimed that Kuminga can't be in the same rotations as Butler because of how they play.
So what does this mean for Kuminga? After all, he was the Warriors' second-best player before the Butler trade, and he had some of his best performances of the season against the Rockets earlier this year.
Winning is all that mattered to the Warriors on Sunday night in Houston, and they did just that thanks to Curry and Butler doing the heavy lifting and combining for 56 points. Draymond Green's defensive intensity also set the tone for what turned out to be Golden State's best overall defensive performance of the season, forcing 17 turnovers and limiting the Rockets' offense.
No matter what Ime Udoka and the Rockets attempted on offense, Green and the Warriors had an answer for it. This is especially true regarding when it came to making sure Houston played in the half-court instead of running in transition.
Kerr and the Warriors understand that what they achieve on defense will win them this series. That is the main reason why Kuminga is out of the rotation in favor of Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, and Gui Santos.
Right now, the plan worked, and the Warriors hold a 1-0 series advantage. But there is a lot of basketball left to be played between Houston and Golden State. At some point, Kuminga will be needed in this series, and this time to observe and reflect will make him the most important player for the Dubs.
Jonathan Kuminga's value vs. Rockets
While the Rockets lost Game 1 of this series on their home floor, there are several positive takeaways for this young group.
Aside from erasing a 23-point deficit and pulling within one possession of the Warriors in the fourth quarter, Houston was able to make adjustments so they could punish Golden State for its lack of size.
The double-big lineup of Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams on the floor created havoc for the Warriors on the glass. Even Jabari Smith Jr. got involved with his rebounding abilities and created struggles for Golden State.
Size and length mattered for the Rockets in the second half of this game, which is why they almost pulled off an improbable comeback in this first playoff game. Playing fast and attacking the glass, especially on offense, will be the Rockets' plan entering Game 2 on Wednesday night.
The Warriors were the seventh-best rebounding team in the league during the regular season. Despite being undersized and playing Green at the center position, Golden State is aggressive when it comes to boxing out their opponents and being physical on the boards.
That didn't matter much in Game 1, though, as the Rockets outrebounded the Warriors 52-36 with 22 offensive rebounds.
Given the Rockets' size and athleticism, Golden State can't depend on Kevon Looney or rookie Quinten Post off the bench more than they did in Game 1. That is why Payton saw the most minutes off the bench. Still, it was Green, Butler, and Curry who had to attack the glass along with Brandin Podziemski.
That is where Kuminga can come in handy and play an Andrew Wiggins-like role in this series for the Warriors. When the Dubs won their most recent championship in 2022, Wiggins made a living in the playoffs as a primary rebounder. While his scoring numbers were shaky at times, Wiggins understood the assignment and did his job so others around him could succeed.
This is what the Warriors will need from Kuminga, and this is how he can break back into the rotation heading into the later stages of this series. Also, some of Kuminga's best performances of the season came against the Rockets because of how fast-paced these matchups can get.
In their first meeting on Nov. 2, Kuminga scored 23 points off the bench without Curry playing. The Warriors won in overtime, 127-121, in Houston.
About a month later, Jonathan Kuminga again destroyed the Rockets, scoring 33 points and adding seven rebounds to his name in a 99-93 win for Golden State. He also had 20 points in the Warriors' NBA Cup loss to the Rockets. In the team's most recent game against Houston on April 9, Kuminga finished with nine points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes.
While the Warriors lost this final regular-season meeting against the Rockets, Kuminga provided a spark of energy and scoring in his limited time off the bench. He finished the game +9, the highest plus-minus of any Dubs player.
Defense will be the focal point of this series between the Warriors and Rockets, but at some point, offense is going to take over. Curry and Butler can only do so much, and with Houston changing their defensive plans, Kuminga is looming as the spark who could put Golden State over the edge in this series.
The longer the series, the more important Jonathan Kuminga becomes
Curry and Butler did the heavy lifting on offense for the Warriors in Game 1, but this win was a collective effort.
The grit that Golden State played with defensively and the basketball IQ that was on display in this game created a 23-point advantage and allowed the Dubs to hold on late in the fourth quarter when the game seemed to be slipping away. It also helps when Curry and Butler, two of the best closers in the NBA, can ease tensions on offense down the stretch.
This was a statement win for the Warriors, but every game of this series against Houston won't play out this way.
The Rockets are going to make adjustments on offense, and their size is going to continue to give them an advantage. Houston also has a much deeper rotation than the Warriors and has a lot of young athletes on their team who want to play fast.
If there is one thing Kerr and the Warriors don't want in this series, it's for things to get out of control and become a track meet. Curry, Butler, and Green all played more than 37 minutes in Game 1, which is why fatigue in faster-paced games will begin to cause a problem.
This is another reason for Jonathan Kuminga to stay ready, as Green getting in foul trouble or Butler seeing extensive minutes will lead to extra opportunities. Perhaps he can't be on the floor at the same time as Butler or Green to be successful, but there will come a time when the Warriors will need speed, athleticism, and effort to go against the two-seed in the Western Conference.
At that moment, Kuminga's number will be called, and he will have a chance to prove his worth to Golden State in the biggest moment.
Until then, much will remain the same for Kerr and the Warriors. A Game 1 victory on Sunday night allows Golden State to rest easy until Game 2 on Wednesday, and the course of attack will remain the same. This team's identity since adding Butler has been forged on the defensive side of the ball, and that will be the point of emphasis moving forward.
The NBA Playoffs are always different compared to the regular season as postseason basketball is about opportunity. Jonathan Kuminga's opportunity is coming, and he will need to remain patient to be the best version of himself for the Warriors.
