3 reasons why Steve Kerr should re-instate Jonathan Kuminga in starting lineup alongside Steph Curry
Steve Kerr moved Jonathan Kuminga to the bench on Oct. 30 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The highly accomplished coach explained that without Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins, the team needed to fix spacing issues. Kerr inserted Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski to solve that problem.
Curry eventually returned from an injury on Nov. 5 against the Washington Wizards, but Kuminga continued to stay on the bench. It wasn’t until Wednesday that the athletic forward joined the starters. Interestingly, the two-time MVP was out with an injury when Kerr re-inserted Kuminga into the starting lineup.
Kuminga finished the game against the Thunder with a team-high 19 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Despite performing well against Oklahoma, Kerr told reporters he could send Kuminga back to the bench when Curry returns.
However, Kuminga has made a case to be a starter alongside the franchise cornerstone.
3 reasons why Steve Kerr should keep Jonathan Kuminga in the starting lineup with Steph Curry
#3 Lindy Waters III has been inconsistent with the deep ball
Lindy Waters III started in some of the games where Steve Kerr benched Kuminga to fix shooting and spacing issues. After shooting 47.1% from deep in October, Waters has been inconsistent. The forward’s 3-point shooting has plummeted to 31.0% on 3.8 attempts per game in November.
Kuminga shoots 4.2 long-range bombs per contest with 34.8% accuracy this month. He has turned into a more efficient volume shooter than Waters. Additionally, Kuminga is a much better defensive player than his teammate.
#2 Jonathan Kuminga is one of the Warriors’ best two-way players
Jonathan Kuminga has shown flashes of elite defense, particularly over the last two seasons. As perhaps the Golden State Warriors’ second-best defender, Steve Kerr should consider making him a staple in the starting lineup with Steph Curry. He still commits mistakes on defense but his athleticism, size and length serve him well.
Kuminga can chase perimeter players, help protect the paint and jostle with bigger players for rebounds. He could help ease the burden on Curry defensively.
#1 Jonathan Kuminga is the Warriors’ best rim attacker
Nobody on the Golden State Warriors roster can attack the rim with the same force and aggression as Jonathan Kuminga. When he goes downhill, he creates opportunities for himself and his teammates.
If Steph Curry is on the starting lineup, why not use the explosive forward as a threat to help open the floor for the Dubs? With Kuminga attacking the basket, opposing defenses have to respond and clog the paint. The Warriors can swing the ball out of the chaos he creates to give daylight to shooters.
Kuminga as a lob threat is another reason he should be in the starting lineup. Golden State’s frontline is largely ground-bound, making his presence even more valuable.