Jimmy Butler addressed a potential issue that may arise in the Golden State Warriors with the impending return of fourth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga from an ankle injury.
Butler dismissed any concern about Kuminga’s fit next to him.
“I think it’s going to be easy,” Butler said. “He’s hella athletic. Can shoot it. Can score it in a multitude of ways. And can guard. Can definitely guard. I think he’s going to come back and do what he’s been doing. My job is to make it even easier on him. So come on back and help us get some dubs.”
Kuminga and Butler play similar styles with both players preferring to attack the rim than shoot 3s.
The rising Warriors forward has acknowledged this in a previous interview with Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
“I like that guy,” Kuminga told Slater, referring to Butler. “It’s great for us. I think it’s actually great for me, being around him, trying to pick up some of the stuff he does. I feel like I see myself kind of like having a similar type of game.”
Can Jonathan Kuminga and Jimmy Butler Co-Exist?
The big question mark is, can they co-exist together?
Butler’s reassuring words are pleasing to everyone’s ears. But until they can prove it on the floor, it’s a cause of concern for the Warriors and their fans.
Kuminga’s reintegration to Steve Kerr’s rotation will be crucial in Golden State’s playoff push.
The Warriors are 14-11 after Kuminga suffered a significant ankle sprain on Jan. 4. They have won six of their seven games since Butler arrived at the trade deadline.
Butler has assumed Kuminga’s previous role as the Warriors’ second-leading scorer behind Stephen Curry.
In his first seven games as a Warriors, Butler averaged 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 45.8% from the field and just 9.1% from the 3-point line. But these numbers were eschewed by their most recent win — a 128-92 blowout of the Charlotte Hornets, with Butler only playing 19 minutes.
Over his last 17 games before the injury, Kuminga averaged 19.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 46.7% from the field and 37.3% from the 3-point line.
Steve Kerr Wants Jonathan Kuminga to Emulate Jimmy Butler
During a crucial one-on-one meeting in Orlando ahead of their five-game East Coast trip, Kerr showed Kuminga clips of Butler’s play with the Warriors.
“He’s the perfect guy for JK to emulate,” Kerr said, per The Athletic. “What makes Jimmy special is that he doesn’t try to be special. He plays fundamental basketball. He never turns it over. He just makes the simple play over and over. I want JK to learn some of that … attacking the rim, nothing there, jump stop, pass the ball. That’s a great basketball play. JK before he got hurt, it was the best I’ve ever seen him play. He was already on a great track. This was just a reminder that these are the things we want.”
The meeting was part of the open line of communication agreement Kerr and Kuminga have forged following the young forward’s public airing of grievance last year, according to Slater.
“The main thing I want for JK is to not press when he comes back,” Kerr said, per The Athletic. “It’s not an easy spot to come back into where the team is rolling, contract stuff this summer. He’s going to have a lot on his mind. I want to make things as smooth and easy as possible. I want him to understand that it’s not going to happen right away. He was playing the best basketball of his career before the injury, and it’s not going to happen the first night where he’s going to get back to that level. It will take a little time.”
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