Steve Kerr clarified a lot about where things stood and continue to stand with Jonathan Kuminga after some fit concerns with the Warriors. Again.
The conversation will continue to be a trending topic as Kuminga is set to enter restricted free agency this NBA offseason.
After a report from The Ringer’s Logan Murdock recently circulated that Kerr and several Warriors assistant coaches were becoming increasingly “irked” with Kuminga and how he would “wave off” Steph Curry to create his own offense, Kerr clarified how the Warriors want Kuminga to play and how that contrasts to the role Kuminga is comfortable playing.
“I don’t think there’s a disagreement. I think that there is a different view from his perspective and what he’s comfortable doing,” Kerr said Thursday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs.” “Obviously, he’s a natural scorer. You saw that in the Minnesota series when he got his opportunity. He scored really well. And that’s what he’s most comfortable doing.
“But with our team and the way we’re built, with Steph and Jimmy [Butler], they’re going to dominate the ball. [So] what we need from that spot is rebounding, passing, the connection, and yes, we need the scoring, but it has to come within the context of what we’re really good at and what we’re great at over the last two months with Jimmy and Steph.”
Kerr added that he understands it takes some time for young players such as Kuminga, 22, to figure out who they are and the type of player they want to be in the league, and he recognizes that it’s not easy.
The coach also noted he sees plenty of growth ahead for Kuminga.
Kerr then was asked if what the Warriors are asking of Kuminga is a matter of something the young forward can’t do — or won’t do. Kerr said what he’s asking of Kuminga are things the coach believes the former first-round pick can do, but he further explained how it’s become a complicated matter.
“You go down a path and you try to get certain habits that are built and you want them to be consistent. So in Year 4, you would hope that those things are coming. And I would say they have been inconsistent,” Kerr confessed. “I’m talking about the rebounding front, and taking care of the ball. I’ve tried to explain this to the fans and to you guys over the course of the years.
“The way the team is built, we got two guys in Jimmy and Steph who are two of the best in the league and they’re going to have the ball in their hands. We have two guys in Steph and Draymond who are going to turn the ball over quite a bit. It’s just kind of the nature of their games. So the fit with Jonathan, and I’ve been very open with him about this as well, the fit is a little tricky when he’s a guy who needs the ball and he’s a guy who turns the ball over a lot. So you throw all that stuff together and as a coach, you just say, “Alright, what’s the best way for us to win? How does the puzzle fit together?’
“That’s why we ended up in the situation we did, where he fell out of the loop a little bit. Not his fault, young player, we’re trying to win. We went down the path that we felt gave us the best chance to do that.”
That’s a lot to soak in, Dub Nation.
And this is just the beginning of the unknown surrounding Kuminga and his future in Golden State.
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