The Golden State Warriors may have hit some turbulence once again when it comes to Jonathan Kuminga, especially over the past week. After beginning the season in the starting lineup, things were looking great for the Warriors. Then, Kuminga's production began to fall off, leading to a few losses for the team, and head coach Steve Kerr elected to bring him off the bench.
The Warriors then rattled off three straight wins, and now it feels like Kuminga is on the outside looking in, according to ESPN's Antony Slater.
“He feels like the scapegoat again,” a team source said via Slater.
The one person on the team who has taken Kuminga under his wing is Jimmy Butler, who feels like he understands the situation that he's going through. Butler was asked about Kuminga and his fit on the team during their winning streak.
“Him not being in the lineup ain't the reason that we're winning,” Butler said. “We're just playing better basketball. Roles are clearer. We're making shots. We're guarding. That ain't got nothing to do with him. If he was in the lineup, I still believe that we win these games.”
Similar to last season, it seems like things have gone well for the Warriors when Kuminga doesn't have a big role on the team. Some games, he looks like the player who can do it all on the court. Other times, he can struggle, which can hurt the team in certain situations.
At this point, it's hard to know what the future can hold for Kuminga on the Warriors, and he truly won't know until he becomes trade-eligible, which is in January. For now, it looks like he'll continue to play his game, while also taking tips from Butler.
“I feel like, in this league, he's one of the people that actually [has] been in my shoes throughout their career,” Kuminga said. “And knows what I've been going through.”
