Jonathan Kuminga Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors Notes: Starting Lineup, Kuminga, Poole, Payton II

April 23rd, 2022 at 6:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors have found a devastating lineup to close out games, and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic believes it’s just a matter of time until that group becomes the starters as well. Stephen Curry has been coming off the bench since returning from injury, and Thompson notes it would be easy to transfer his minutes back into a starter’s role. Thompson cites a “high likelihood” that the change will take place when Golden State begins its second-round series, if not sooner.

No matter what coach Steve Kerr decides to do with his rotation, Jordan Poole‘s role shouldn’t be changed, Thompson adds. Thompson states that Poole has been one of the Warriors’ best players for about two months, and the team has a 48-19 record with him as a starter.

The closing lineup, which also includes Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, has overcome concerns about its lack of size with aggressive defense and rebounding in the first-round series against Denver. Looking ahead to the next round, the author believes the smaller lineup provides favorable matchups against either the Grizzlies or Timberwolves.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Rookie forward Jonathan Kuminga was a regular during the season, but he has only seen eight combined minutes in three games against the Nuggets. Team officials expect him to have a role later in the playoffs, Thompson adds in the same piece, so his playing time might increase in Game 4. “I keep reminding all the guys every day that, (in) the playoffs, things change at the drop of a hat,” Kerr said. “You’ve got to be prepared for everything. And have a lot of proof of that over the years. We’ve had a lot of players who have had to fill in and step up and play big roles in big series. … A big part of the playoffs is everybody staying ready.”
Poole’s improved play will set up a tricky extension decision for the Warriors this summer, writes Keith Smith of Spotrac. Poole is eligible for an extension that could be worth up to a projected $185MM+ over five years, but even if he agrees to take less, it will present an extra salary burden for a team that’s already paying nearly $350MM in combined salaries and luxury tax. Smith suggests something in the range of $100MM over four years might be a reasonable compromise, adding that the Warriors value Poole too much to let him get away.
Gary Payton II was considering applying for a job in the Warriors’ video department if he hadn’t made the team in training camp, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “He’s been released so many times,” Kerr said. “It’s just him preparing for whatever is next. But he played so well for us, that was never going to be a possibility.”

Warriors Notes: Curry, Payton, Porter, Kuminga

April 13th, 2022 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Stephen Curry returned to practice for the first time since suffering a strained left foot and a bone bruise four weeks ago, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Today’s session focused on preparation work for the first-round series against the Nuggets. The Warriors are scheduled to scrimmage on Thursday, and coach Steve Kerr said Curry is expected to participate. Kerr added that he wants to see Curry in action during a scrimmage before the team determines whether he’ll play in Saturday’s series opener.

“He’s looking good to scrimmage tomorrow,” Kerr said. “Then we’ll take the next step. His conditioning should be good, so it’s more [of] just the training staff making the decision based on their evaluation of him.”

Golden State’s playoff fate could rest on how Curry performs in that scrimmage and how he feels afterward, suggests Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. There’s not time for Curry to go through the normal steps of returning to action, so the Warriors have to hope his foot responds well after his first serious on-court test since he suffered the injury on March 16.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Gary Payton II would like to re-sign with Golden State next season, but not if he can earn significantly more somewhere else, his father told Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Payton made $1.9MM this year, and Deveney believes his next contract could be worth about $20MM over three seasons. The Warriors already have tax concerns and may not be willing to hand out another sizable salary. “I would never tell my son not to explore something that would be better or would be best for him,” Payton Sr. said. “But I think he understands that Golden State is the best situation for him if there is playing time and they get it right. But if it doesn’t work out, he knows that this is a business and he has to move on.”
Otto Porter had a significant injury history before he signed with Golden State last summer, so the team monitored him closely all season long, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The Warriors staff watched his minutes, rested him on back-to-backs and sat him for a few games when his back started to hurt. He hopes to be fresh for the playoffs after playing 63 games, but only averaging 22.2 minutes per night. “Training staff here has a plan,” he said. “It’s worked wonders for me.”
The highs and lows that Jonathan Kuminga experienced during his rookie season make him an X-factor heading into the playoffs, observes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Green, Kuminga, Playoff Seeding

April 5th, 2022 at 8:25pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors star Stephen Curry has started shooting as he continues to make progress in his recovery from a sprained left foot, writes Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area. Curry has been sidelined since March 16 and will miss the rest of the regular season.

“He is on the court now, getting some shots up,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters Tuesday after practice. “He has been able to ramp things up a bit, and he’s doing well.”

Curry told Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi on ESPN’s “The Bird and Taurasi Show” that he plans to be back for the playoffs.

“My goal is to get back for Game 1 of the playoffs,” Curry said Friday. “Injuries suck. The timing is hopefully on your side in terms of getting back to as close to 100 percent as possible, which is my goal. The boys will hold it down to the end of the regular season.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Draymond Green is starting to look like himself again after playing in back-to-back games for the first time since returning from a lower back injury, as ESPN’s Kendra Andrews relays. “I think there have been a few plays defensively that I can kind of feel me getting my time and rhythm back and covering up some things,” Green said. “Offensively, I’m starting to find my rhythm, too. I have to find my touch again. But other than that, I’m starting to find my rhythm. … It does feel that over the last few games it’s starting to come together for me.”
Rookie Jonathan Kuminga is soaking up knowledge for his first playoff test, Schrock writes in another NBC Sports Bay Area article. “The coaches, everybody, they always talk about it out of the blue,” Kuminga said on Sunday. “So, you just have to listen. Especially when I get a chance to play in certain games with the speed against the good teams, I see it. After the game or at halftime, they’ll be talking about, ‘that’s how the playoffs are going to be. That’s the pressure. That’s how a lot of the crowds will be like.’ As a young player, you’ve got to open your ears and just listen to what people are saying and learn from that. That’s basically what I have been doing pretty much.” Kuminga’s minutes have fluctuated wildly over the past handful of games, but he could be an X factor in the playoffs for a team with championship aspirations.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic explores five storylines to watch in the season’s final week, including the playoff seedings in the West. The Warriors are currently the No. 3 seed at 50-29 with three games remaining, and with one more win or a Denver loss, the team will clinch a top-four seed. However, the Warriors only hold a one-game lead over Dallas, and Dallas holds the tiebreaker due to a better head-to-head record. The Warriors face the Lakers, Spurs and Pelicans in their last three games, while the Mavs face the Pistons, Blazers and Spurs.

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Iguodala, Kuminga, Kerr

March 27th, 2022 at 10:06pm CST by JD Shaw

Warriors star Klay Thompson logged 40 minutes in the team’s game against the Hawks on Friday, a major accomplishment since recovering from a torn ACL and torn Achilles’ tendon. The 32-year-old finished with 37 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the loss, shooting 9-of-16 from deep.

“That’s a big win for me,” Thompson said on recording 40 minutes, as relayed by Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com. “I can’t remember the last time I played 40 minutes … a huge milestone for me.”

Head coach Steve Kerr also complimented Thompson after the contest, calling it his best outing since returning. Thompson’s previous season-high in minutes was 38 against San Antonio one week ago, while is next highest was just under 34 against Milwaukee on March 12.

“Rick (Celebrini) may not be (comfortable with it),” Kerr said, referring to the team’s director of sports medicine and performance (as shared by Anthony Slater of The Athletic). “I may have a text on my phone. But I thought it was Klay’s best game.”

Here are some other notes out of Golden State tonight:

Kerr is hopeful that Andre Iguodala will return against the Grizzlies on Monday, Slater shares in a separate tweet. Iguodala has been dealing with a back injury and last played on February 7. He’s appeared in 26 games this season, averaging 4.1 points and 3.8 assists in 19.9 minutes per contest.
Golden State started Jonathan Kuminga in place of Kevon Looney on Friday, as noted by Slater (Twitter link). This allowed Draymond Green to play center, pairing Looney with Otto Porter Jr. off the bench. The team used the same starting lineup for its game against the Wizards on Sunday.
Kerr explained his rationale behind the lineup adjustment, noting how it’s important to settle on a lineup before the playoffs come. “We’re going to have a ton of flexibility these last eight games,” he said as part of a full quote, according to Andrews (Twitter link). “Without Steph, everything changes for us in terms of the domino effect of different rotations. I decided to separate Draymond and Loon for more spacing and more shooting on the floor at the same time.” Stephen Curry remains out due to a sprained ligament in his foot and is expected to return before the postseason.

Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Lakers, Magic, A. Holiday

February 18th, 2022 at 7:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga may be just 19 years old, but his sights are set on lofty career goals, as Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated relays.

Kuminga hopes to become “at least a three-time MVP [and] four-time Defensive Player of the Year,” wants to make the Hall of Fame, and win multiple championships.

The No. 7 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Kuminga has had an increased role recently due to injuries to Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala. Through eight games in February (26.3 MPG), Kuminga has scored in double figures in each contest, averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 1.9 APG on .603/.320/.690 shooting.

Kuminga will participate in the Rising Stars event Friday night. He was named as a replacement for Indiana rookie Chris Duarte, who’s dealing with a toe injury.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

Jovan Buha of The Athletic explores how the Lakers will attempt to survive without star Anthony Davis, who’s sidelined for at least a month with a mid-foot sprain. The Lakers will likely lean more heavily on LeBron James and Russell Westbrook in Davis’ absence, Buha writes, with James figuring to see more time at center. Lineups featuring James at center have a positive net rating (+2.5) and are outstanding offensively, but struggle on defense.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson recently shared his thoughts on the current team with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (the interview was conducted prior to Davis’ injury). Johnson says the group lacks an identity and has been inconsistent throughout the season, but he thinks that if the “Big Three” can figure out how to mesh together, the Lakers will still be dangerous in the playoffs.
Evan Sidery of BasketballNews.com believes that Aaron Holiday ‘fits right in’ with the Suns, and could eventually supplant Landry Shamet as the fourth guard in the rotation given Shamet’s shooting struggles. “He just continues to play the kind of basketball we like to play,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said after Phoenix beat Houston 124-121 Wednesday. “Defensively, he just gets into stuff and he comes up with balls. I thought the inbounds play under the basket where he stole it and laid it up, that’s Aaron [Holiday], and I like his willingness to take shots.” Holiday was acquired from the Wizards last week for cash considerations.

Western Notes: Cousins, George, Kuminga, Kings

February 16th, 2022 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

DeMarcus Cousins‘ current 10-day contract with the Nuggets will expire this weekend, but head coach Michael Malone doesn’t sound like someone who expects to part ways the veteran center in a few days, as Mike Singer of The Denver Post relays.

“You can see all the guys on our bench, even on the court and on the bench, how much they’re rooting for DeMarcus, which is really neat for me, just from a personal level, from a family atmosphere type of a thing,” Malone said on Monday. “Like here’s DeMarcus, four-time All-Star, out of the league. Shouldn’t be the case, and he’s here with us, he’s found a home.

“I love him, and I think you can see all the teammates, when he has a play like that, whether it’s blocking a shot, rolling and dunking, hitting a three, you can feel the energy.”

Cousins has signed three 10-day pacts with Denver so far and the last two have been standard (non-hardship) deals, which means the team will have to decide whether to sign him for the rest of the season when his current contract expires. There has been no confirmation yet that the Nuggets plan to take that route, but it certainly seems like it’s trending that way.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

If a February 24 MRI on Paul George‘s injured elbow comes back clean, the expectation is that the Clippers forward will begin a ramp-up period of approximately two weeks and could return to the court – barring setbacks – during the second week of March, Chris Haynes reported on Tuesday’s TNT broadcast (video link via Tomas Azarly of ClutchPoints).
Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga has been named a replacement for Pacers guard Chris Duarte in this Friday’s Rising Stars game, the league announced today in a press release. Kuminga will replace Duarte, who is dealing with a left toe injury, on Team Payton for the event.
Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee believes there are a handful of parallels between the Kings‘ pre-deadline acquisition of Domantas Sabonis and their trade for Chris Webber nearly 24 years ago.

Warriors Notes: K. Thompson, Kuminga, R. Lopez, Wiseman

February 13th, 2022 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

After two-and-a-half years of rehab to overcome two serious injuries, Klay Thompson was back in a familiar role for the Warriors Saturday night, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. With a nationally televised game against the Lakers hanging in the balance, Thompson exploded for 16 points in the fourth quarter of a 117-115 victory. It was his highest-scoring quarter since 2018, and the 33-point effort marked his biggest scoring night since returning.

“After not feeling that feeling for a few years, don’t take a 30-ball lightly in this league,” Thompson said. “I know that is always in me, but these things happen naturally. I can’t — if I can play to do that every fourth quarter, I would. It’s not the game of ball. It’s the flow of the game. Great things happen with time.”

It was a vintage performance for Thompson, who is still on a minutes restriction, and it’s exactly what the Warriors will need heading into the playoffs. In addition to his offensive brilliance, Thompson was a difference maker on defense, holding Lakers shooters to 1-of-6 from the field as a primary defender.

“There were so many long days in this building,” he recalled, “so many long days doing those tedious things. That is something that I wasn’t used to prior due to my ability to play nightly. Now that I am able to do that, it inspires me to keep going. I am not satisfied. It felt really freaking good, though.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Rookie Jonathan Kuminga played against LeBron James for the first time Saturday night, and coach Steve Kerr said it’s important that he gets those type of experiences out of the way now, per Monte Poole 0f NBC Sports Bay Area. Kuminga has played at least 22 minutes in six straight games and appears to be part of the rotation heading toward the postseason. “Let’s put him on LeBron now, because he’s gonna have to guard LeBron and plenty of other guys in the playoffs who are really, really tough jobs, tough covers,” Kerr said. “We’re just trying to get him all the experience we can right now. He’s handling it beyond anything I could have expected, even a couple weeks ago. His rise this last month has just been brilliant.”
With only one healthy center on the roster, Robin Lopez could emerge as a potential target for the Warriors if he reaches a buyout agreement with the Magic, suggests Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area. Schrock sees Tristan Thompson, DeAndre Jordan and Paul Millsap as other possibilities, although he considers them less likely.
James Wiseman, who is still trying to return after knee surgery, went through a pre-game workout Saturday and has been involved in increased 3-on-3 contact drills over the past few days, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Kuminga, Green, Payton

January 26th, 2022 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

Following a two-game absence due to a hyperextended left knee, Warriors swingman Klay Thompson returned to action on Tuesday night vs. Dallas and played a season-high 26 minutes.

After the game, head coach Steve Kerr said that Thompson’s minutes limit has been increased slightly (the goal is to keep him around 25) and that the team has restructured its rotation to avoid having him sit out for extended stretches, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. On Tuesday, Thompson played for the first six minutes of the first and second quarters, then had three shorter stints in the second half to ensure he could be part of the closing lineup.

“We’re just trying to avoid having him not play for 45 minutes (straight) of actual time,” Kerr said, per Slater.

Thompson, who put up 15 points and six assists and was a plus-26 in the Warriors’ blowout victory, said he prefers this pattern: “Especially at my age and what I’ve been through. It felt good to start the second (quarter). I was loose and I was active. Hopefully we can learn from it.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

After previously penciling in Jonathan Kuminga as a starter during Draymond Green‘s absence, Kerr has moved the rookie forward back to the bench for Golden State’s last three games. As Slater relays, Kerr explained his reasoning on Tuesday: “Without Draymond right now and with a minutes restriction on Klay, Andre (Iguodala) and Otto (Porter Jr.) are not playing back-to-backs, it’s been a little bit of play-it-by-ear-type stuff,” Kerr said. “It feels like we need to try and find some continuity when we can. … As long as Draymond is out, I think anything is on the table based on matchups. I think JK has played really well, so it’s not an indictment on him. It’s more just trying to find combinations that make sense for the game. We are just trying to find ways to win basically while we have guys out.”
Speaking of Green, Kerr said the Warriors will provide an update on the former Defensive Player of the Year on Sunday, per Mark Medina of NBA.com (Twitter link). Green is dealing with back and calf ailments.
In an in-depth profile, James Herbert of CBS Sports takes a look at the path Gary Payton II took to the Warriors and how he has found a home in Golden State.

Pacific Notes: Green, Kuminga, Curry, James, Howard

January 17th, 2022 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors announced on Sunday that defensive stalwart Draymond Green would miss at least two weeks of action due to lingering calf and back injuries. Coach Steve Kerr said they’re playing it safe with Green’s injury issues at this stage of the season, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.

“The main thing is to be safe and cautious,” Kerr said. “It’s a long season. That’s my sense. That we’re being cautious.”

With Green out, lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga will get expanded playing time. Kuminga irritated the staff with a disinterested performance in a G League game last week but the Warriors won’t hold that against him, according to Slater.

“He didn’t run the floor hard. It was disappointing,” Kerr said. “We talked to him about it. He understood and responded well. This is all part of the process for JK. There’s a lot to absorb and learn.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Stephen Curry left the Warriors’ road trip early but it shouldn’t be an area of concern, according to Slater (Twitter link). Curry has a hand injury that the club believes is minor. He could play against Detroit on Tuesday.
The Lakers have dropped below the .500 mark by losing their last three games, including a 37-point thumping by Denver. LeBron James went on social media and pledged to fans the team will get untracked soon. “Lakers Nation I apologize and promise we’ll be better,” James proclaimed on his Twitter feed.
The decision to start Dwight Howard against the Nuggets shows the Lakers can only go so far with small ball lineups, Kyle Goon of the Orange Country Register writes. Coach Frank Vogel doesn’t want James banging against top-level centers such as Nikola Jokic. Howard will still have a role off the bench when Anthony Davis returns, Goon adds.

Western Notes: Curry, Green, Porter Jr., Kings, Kuminga

January 15th, 2022 at 3:35pm CST by JD Shaw

Warriors superstar Stephen Curry downplayed the hand injury suffered during his team’s 138-96 win over Chicago on Saturday, as relayed by ESPN. Curry landed on his right hand after driving to the rim, but the two-time MVP remained in the game.

“Anything that involves the hands, especially the right one, you’re a little concerned,” he said. “But the feeling came back, the strength came back. It hurts, but I’ll be all right.”

Curry feels the injury isn’t significant, but out of caution, he’ll undergo additional examination. Golden State is 31-11 largely because of his play, as the 33-year-old is averaging 26.3 points, 6.0 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game so far this season.

“I have some PTSD from two years ago,” Curry explained, referring to when he broke his hand. “When I landed it felt kind of the same, but we’ll get it looked at and figure it out. Should be all right.”

Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:

Rockets head coach Stephen Silas expressed optimism that Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. will be the team’s backcourt duo for years to come, as relayed by The Athletic’s Kelly Iko in a story about the duo. “They’re better together than they were at the beginning of the season,” Silas explained as part of a larger quote. “Scoot’s (Porter) development as a point guard, where at the beginning of the season, he was really struggling with the turnovers but wasn’t as bad before he got hurt. And then Jalen’s growth as a player, you can see it. I mean, you can see it. So the improvement of those two guys connected to the improvement of the group is the most gratifying thing to me. They’re gonna be together for a long time.”
The Kings didn’t get involved in the Knicks-Hawks trade involving Cam Reddish for a variety of reasons, as James Ham of ESPN 1320 explains (via Twitter). One major reason is how Sacramento doesn’t have the draft assets that New York has, as the Knicks traded away a first-round pick in the deal to acquire Reddish.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic examines the comparison between Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga and former NBA player Shawn Marion. As Slater writes, head coach Steve Kerr recently explained how he wants Kuminga to play, noting that it’s similar to how Marion played during his career. “When I was in Phoenix as a GM, we had Shawn Marion. One of the best athletes in the league,” Kerr said as part of his full quote. “Every night, he’d just run the floor hard. He wasn’t the greatest 3-point shooter, wasn’t the greatest passer, wasn’t the greatest ballhandler. But he was an All-Star because he just played hard. By running the floor, all kinds of good stuff would happen.”