Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has issued a strong challenge to Jonathan Kuminga in the wake of Gary Payton II’s thumb injury.
“Well, it opens up an opportunity for JK to be that defensive stopper, the guy whom we’ve relied on Gary to be,” Kerr said, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, following Thursday’s practice in New Orleans. “JK is the obvious guy. Put him on the best offensive player, pick up full like harass people like Gary does, and I asked him to do that.”
The Warriors will face the Pelicans in a crucial road game on Friday, March 28, looking to snap a two-game slide and climb back inside the top six of the stacked Western Conference. Payton II, the Warriors’ best on-ball defensive stopper, is out with a thumb injury.
The Warriors announced on Thursday that Payton II suffered a partial tear of a ligament in his left thumb during Tuesday’s blowout loss against the Heat in Miami. He will be re-evaluated in one week.
“[Payton II’s injury] opens up more minutes for him,” Kerr said of Kuminga. “He’s effective with that. And then again, it’s mix and match, game to game, depending on who’s playing well and how we’re playing.”
Jonathan Kuminga ‘Got a Lot of Potential’ as Defensive Stopper
Kuminga has come off the bench over his first seven games since he returned from a 32-game absence due to a significant ankle sprain. He is averaging only 24.3 minutes which is expected to climb to 30s with Payton II out.
Kuminga is averaging 14.0 points on 42.3% overall shooting but just 17.6% from the 3-point line with 3.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals since he returned. It is nowhere near close to his last 17 games pre-injury when he 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.
While Kuminga is still trying to rediscover his outside shooting touch, Kerr will bank on the length and athleticism of the 6-foot-7 forward who boasts a 7-foot wingspan to fill in the perimeter defensive void led by Payton II.
“He’s got a lot of potential in that regard,” Kerr said of Kuminga. “And I think it’s right there for him to, like I said, give him some tough assignments coming up but it’s always in the context of the team defense — five-man unit — which applies to everybody no matter if you’re on-ball defender, off-ball defender, you got to be in sync with everyone else.”
So Much at Stake
Kuminga’s play in the homestretch of the season will be crucial not only for the Warriors’ playoff hopes but for his upcoming contract talks in the offseason as well. The fourth-year forward will become a restricted free agency after this season.
Kuminga’s camp was “aiming for” a $35 million annual average salary, The Athletic reported in the fall, but the Warriors were only willing to go $30 million.
After giving Jimmy Butler a two-year, $112 million extension upon his arrival via the blockbuster trade at the deadline, the Warriors have big numbers to crunch this offseason.
The Warriors will owe the aging trio of Stephen Curry, Butler and Draymond Green roughly $140 million next season. That number bumps up to $166 million with the guaranteed salaries of Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
They will only have roughly $29 million under the first apron and $37 million under the second apron and the taxpayer exception to sign seven more players to reach the league minimum of 14.
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