Jonathan Kuminga Loses Faith In Steve Kerr, Warriors
Sources close to Jonathan Kuminga tell Shams Charania of The Athletic that he no longer believes he can reach his full potential while playing under Steve Kerr.
This frustration comes after sitting the final 18 minutes of their Golden State Warriors loss to the Denver Nuggets, in which they blew an 18-point lead with 5 minutes to go in the game. Nikola Jokic buried a half-court shot to win it.
“He was playing great,” Kerr said of Kuminga after the game. “His normal time to go back in would have been around the five-, six-minute mark (of the fourth). (Andrew Wiggins) was playing great, we were rolling, were up 18, 19, whatever it was. So we just stayed with him. Then at that (later) point, it didn’t feel like the right thing to do. He had been sitting for a while. So I stayed with the group that was out there, and obviously, we couldn’t close it out.”
While Kerr does explain his reasoning for keeping him on the bench, this isn’t the first time Kerr has decided to defer away from his younger talent. Moses Moody is also frustrated with his role in Kerr’s system.
A lack of consistency and no fundamental role has been the source of frustration for both young talents. These players are also lottery-drafted players, which makes it more frustrating – if considering their perspective.
When given the opportunity, they can make an impact. However, Steve Kerr refuses to allow Moody and Kuminga to shine, especially when the rest of the roster struggles to close out a game against the reigning champs.
