Following Gary Payton II’s thumb injury, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has put Jonathan Kuminga under a lot of pressure.
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Kerr stated after Thursday’s practice in New Orleans, “Well, it opens up opportunity for JK to be that defensive stopper, the guy whom we’ve relied on Gary to be.” The obvious one is JK. I requested him to pick him up and annoy people as Gary does, so I put him on best offensive player.
In a key road game on Friday, March 28, the Warriors will take on the Pelicans in an attempt to end a two-game losing streak and return to the top six of the loaded Western Conference. The Warriors’ top on-ball defensive stopper, Payton II, is sidelined due to a thumb injury.
Payton II had a partial tear of a ligament in his left thumb during Tuesday’s crushing defeat against the Heat in Miami, the Warriors revealed on Thursday. In a week, he will have another evaluation.
Regarding Kuminga, Kerr remarked, “[Payton II’s injury] opens up more minutes for him.” “He works well with that. However, it varies from game to game based on our performance and who is playing well. As defensive stopper, Jonathan Kuminga “Got a Lot of Potential.” In his first seven games back after missing 32 games due to a serious ankle sprain, Kuminga has come off the bench. He is only averaging 24.3 minutes, but with Payton II out, that should increase to the 30s.
Since his comeback, Kuminga has averaged 14.0 points on 42.3% shooting overall, but only 17.6% from 3-point range. He has also pulled down 3.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 0.9 steals. It’s nothing like his previous 17 games prior to the injury, in which he shot 37.3% from three-point range and 46.7% from the field, averaging 19.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.
Kerr will rely on the 6-foot-7 forward’s length and quickness, along with his 7-foot wingspan, to cover the perimeter defensive gap left by Payton II, while Kuminga is still working to regain his outside shooting touch. Kerr remarked of Kuminga, “He has a lot of potential in that regard.” And as I mentioned, I believe it’s right there for him to offer him some
There will be difficult assignments coming up, but they will always be in the framework of the team defense, which is a five-man unit. This applies to everyone, regardless of whether they are off-ball or on-ball defenders; you must coordinate with everyone else.
So Much at Stake: Kuminga’s performance in the last stretch of the season will be important for both his future contract negotiations in the offseason and the Warriors’ chances of making the playoffs. After this season, the fourth-year forward will be a restricted free agent.
The Athletic stated in the fall that Kuminga’s team was “aiming for” an average salary of $35 million per year, but the Warriors were only prepared to pay $30 million.
The Warriors have a lot of cash to work with this offseason after signing Jimmy Butler a two-year, $112 million deal upon his arrival through the blockbuster trade at the deadline.
Next season, the Warriors will owe the aging trio of Draymond Green, Butler, and Stephen Curry almost $140 million. With the guaranteed salaries of Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, and Trayce Jackson-Davis, the sum rises to $166 million. In order to meet the league requirement of 14 players, they will only have about $29 million under the first apron and $37 million under the second apron and the taxpayer exception to add seven more players.
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