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The Golden State Warriors have decided to make a lineup change ahead of their matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. With Draymond Green set to make his return to the court after missing the previous two games, he will come off the bench with Jonathan Kuminga in the starting lineup, as per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Jonathan Kuminga was in the starting lineup in place of Draymond Green who had been dealing with a calf injury. He went off for a career-high 33 points in the Warriors most recent win against the Houston Rockets. He also added six rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot while shooting 13-of-22 from the field and 3-of-6 from the three-point line.
Warriors fans have been clamoring for Kuminga to get more playing time since he was drafted to the team. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga was part of the inaugural group of players for the G League Ignite. During the past two games that Green has been out, the fourth-year forward has gotten his chance to shine.
As per Slater, the Warriors will ease Green's return to the lineup with him coming off the bench. For the majority of his career, Green has been a staple in the Warriors starting lineup. There is a bit of a precedent to this though. Last season when Green returned after serving a suspension, he came off the bench for three games before moving back into the starting lineup.
Jonathan Kuminga's future with Warriors
Back in October, the Warriors and Kuminga were unable to reach a contract extension. It doesn't necessarily mean than Kuminga won't be back with the Warriors as he's set to hit unrestricted free agency in the offseason. If he continues to play like this, however, he will certainly see interest across the league in free agency.
Kuminga has already been a coveted player from opposing teams, but the Warriors were reportedly unwilling to include Kuminga in trade conversations this past offseason.
He's appeared in 19 games for the Warriors so far this season, including six starts, at a little over 23 minutes per game. He's been averaging 14.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals with splits of 45.1 percent shooting from the field, 31.4 percent shooting from the three-point line and 59.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Whether or not Kuminga remains in the starting lineup as a permanent change for the Warriors remains to be seen. But he has definitely taken advantage of his increased opportunity this season.
