SAN FRANCISCO — When Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr scanned the box score of his team’s loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, a number jumped out at him that he believed needed to be changed. needed.
Forward Jonathan Kuminga played just 19 minutes. With 5:48 left in the third quarter and the Warriors trailing by two runs, Kuminga never returned.
“I have to keep him in there for a long time, but these are really tough decisions,” Kerr said Friday before the Warriors’ 113-109 win over the Detroit Pistons. “Because it’s not as simple as how many minutes a guy plays. It’s who’s playing, what the combinations are, what’s happening in the game.”
Before Friday’s game, The Athletic reported that Kerr’s decision to keep Kuminga on the bench for the final 17:48 against Denver resulted in Kuminga losing confidence in Kerr.
In the 20 hours between the Warriors’ back-to-back games, Kerr and Kuminga met in his office. Kerr said he encourages the entire team to express any displeasure or frustration they have and says his “door is always open.”
“I think it went really well,” Kuminga said. “I think it was all about understanding each other better. More communication. … Having that conversation between us today made me feel more comfortable that whenever I have something to ask, I just have to go to his office.” His door is open. Go there and relax and wait for him to come back. I think that’s what it’s all about – if something is going wrong communicate every time. Communication is the key.”
Against the Pistons, Kuminga, making his 12th consecutive start, played a season-high 36 minutes – including the entire fourth quarter – and had 11 points and six rebounds.
During his meeting with Kerr, Kuminga said he never complained about his minutes or being pushed in and out of the rotation, a pattern that has remained consistent during his three seasons with the Warriors.
Kuminga repeatedly said the purpose of the meeting with Kerr was to get a “better understanding” of things. This led to a better understanding of what she needed to do on the floor, who Kerr was going to night in and who Kerr trusted the most.
“It’s a tough situation because obviously every player has his own goals, his own dreams,” Kerr said. “Everybody wants to thrive. Everybody wants to blossom. … I have to make very tough decisions every night. Zeke is a young player who is growing. He’s getting better. That’s why he’s the starter. Is in the lineup.”
Against the Nuggets, Kerr decided not to hold Kuminga back because he wanted to stick with Andrew Wiggins, who helped the Warriors defeat the Nuggets 44–24 in the third quarter. Kerr prefers not to play Kuminga and Wiggins together because their games are so similar, the coach said.
Kuminga made it clear Friday night that he doesn’t want it to seem like he and Wiggins are competing with each other for minutes every night. “It’s about figuring out how to co-exist so they can both remain important parts of the team,” he said.
“I love it here,” Kuminga said. “I got drafted here. There’s always ups and downs. I feel like when you look at all the ups and downs, it will confuse a lot of people. But I know Steve believes in me. Does. I know he trusts me at this point. It was just about communication and better understanding. It was no beef. Nothing like that. Whatever happens, move past it. It’s the past. “Moving forward with a better understanding and hopefully we can all work with each other and help this team and leave everything behind.”
