Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr provided a positive update on Jonathan Kuminga‘s slow recovery from a significant ankle sprain that had sidelined him since Jan. 4.
“There’s no setback,” Kerr said on “Willard and Dibs” show on 95.7 The Game on Wednesday, March 5. ‘The injury itself was, I think, more serious than anybody realized, and some of these things you just can’t predict. That’s one of the things I’ve learned during my time as coach, working with Rick (Celebrini) and the performance staff. There’s no exact recipe for these injuries, and everybody heals differently.
“And I think, as it’s turned out, JK’s injury was more of a setback than we realized in the beginning, and he’s working hard. He’s working every day at a really good workout today, and it does feel like he’s getting close. But we just got to do the right thing, and that’s what we’re all trying to do.”
Kerr was non-committal on whether Kuminga will return in their next game at home on Saturday, March 8, against the Detroit Pistons, which ESPN’s Shams Charania reported to be the target return date the Warriors are considering.
“I can’t [confirm],” Kerr said. “That would just be speculation on my part right now.”
Jonathan Kuminga’s Return to Form Expected to Take Time
The Warriors are 17-12 since Kuminga went down with the calf injury. Their record was boosted by Jimmy Butler‘s arrival at the trade deadline. They have gone 9-1 with Butler and 10-2 since the trade.
With the Warriors rolling, there is no point to rush Kuminga back.
“The main thing I want for JK is to not press when he comes back,” Kerr said, per The Athletic, last week at the beginning of their East Coast trip. “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.”
Kuminga was playing the best stretch of his young NBA career before the untimely injury. He had 17 straight double-digit scoring games, including eight 20-plus-point scoring games. He had three games in which he scored more than 30 points, including a back-to-back career-high 34 in late December.
Over his last 17 games, 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. He was the Warriors’ second-leading scorer behind Stephen Curry.
The Jimmy Butler Template
While Kerr and the Warriors are preaching patience, their fan base is itching to see what the team could look like when Kuminga returns to the fold.
The biggest question that hangs over their heads with one month to go to the playoffs is how will Kuminga fit in a re-tooled Warriors roster with Butler, who has lifted them back into playoff contention.
Kerr already has a plan in mind that’s why he met with Kuminga last week to lay that out.
“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.”
Will Kuminga listen to his coach or will he press to make up for the lost time in a contract year?
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Warriors’ Steve Kerr Reveals Truth on Jonathan Kuminga’s Slow Recovery appeared first on Heavy Sports.