Jonathan Kuminga

Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Curry, Green, Harden, DeRozan

December 6th, 2024 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green available on Thursday vs. Houston, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga had his best game so far this fall — his 33 points, seven rebounds, and 33 minutes were all season highs, and as Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes, Kuminga played an important role in crunch time to help Golden State secure a hard-fought victory.

Kuminga’s role and playing time have been inconsistent this season, in part because the Warriors have such a deep rotation and head coach Steve Kerr has been adamant about starting a center next to Green. Kuminga, who has been in and out of the starting lineup, has been at his best when he’s played at power forward rather than at the three alongside Green and a center. Kuminga has been at the four in each of the Warriors’ past two games, starting next to Looney in the frontcourt with Green sidelined.

“The floor has been opened up a little bit the last couple games for JK,” Kerr said. “But can we get him out there more with Draymond, with Loon? But as a (power forward) like he’s been playing the last couple of nights. That’s really the key. We just have a lot of guys, so we have to sort through all this. But there’s no question we can do more of this.”

As Shams Charania said during a Friday appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today (Twitter video link), the Warriors continue to seek a star to complement Curry after missing out on Paul George and Lauri Markkanen over the offseason. The question, Charania says, is whether that star needs to be acquired externally or whether a current Warrior like Kuminga could still become that player.

“That relationship between Jonathan Kuminga and Steve Kerr is something that Warriors officials have been monitoring over the last year or so,” Charania said. “How he fits in when Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will be interesting to monitor.”

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The Warriors should get a chance on Friday to assess how to best use Kuminga with both Curry and Green available. According to Slater (Twitter link), both players are listed as probable to play vs. Minnesota. Curry was out on Thursday due to bilateral knee injury management, while Green missed back-to-back games with left calf tightness.
After spending a few years as a secondary offensive option in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, James Harden has been back in a featured role as the Clippers‘ offensive engine this fall — his usage rate of 30.3% is his highest mark since his last full season in Houston in 2019/20. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link), Harden has been “almost universally” praised within the Clippers’ organization for his leadership and offensive impact, and sources close to the team have cited his bond with new assistant Jeff Van Gundy as an important factor in Harden’s day-to-day preparation. The Clippers guard is also dedicated to getting “the most sleep of his life” to stay sharp at age 35, Windhorst adds.
Within that same ESPN Insider story, Windhorst and Bontemps spoke to rival NBA executives who questioned DeMar DeRozan‘s fit with the Kings, pointing out that the veteran forward operates in the same areas of the court as De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis and “hasn’t driven winning” in San Antonio, Chicago, and Sacramento. While the Kings are off to a disappointing 10-13 start this season, it’s unclear whether the fit of the DeRozan/Fox/Sabonis trio is the issue. As Bontemps observes, the club has a +6.5 net rating in the trio’s 420 minutes on the court together.

Warriors Notes: Kerr, Green, Podziemski, Waters, Rotation

December 4th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr screamed at the officiating crew before leaving the court after the team’s 119-115 loss in Denver on Tuesday night, explaining in his post-game media session that he believed the referees failed to notice Nuggets guard Christian Braun calling for a timeout in the game’s final seconds with his team out of timeouts (Twitter video link).

“Braun called a timeout,” Kerr said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “He dove on the floor, he rolled over. Everybody saw it except for the three guys we hire to do the games, and that makes me angry. That’s a technical foul. They don’t have a timeout left. We shoot a free throw, we get the ball, we got a chance to win the game. (The referees) all told me they didn’t see it. … It’s up to the referees to see (it). That’s why we have three of them. Somebody’s got to see it. So yeah, that made me mad.”

Crew chief Tyler Ford told a pool reporter after the game that Braun “never fully or clearly” signaled for a timeout, a ruling Braun agreed with.

“No,” Braun said when asked if he had called timeout. “It might’ve looked like it maybe. I was fumbling the ball on the ground a little bit. My hands moved, but the refs didn’t call it.”

It was a frustrating finish for the Warriors, who were up by 11 points with just over six minutes left and still held a six-point lead with two-and-a-half minutes to play. While Kerr strongly disagreed with the officials’ decision on the Braun play in the final seconds, he acknowledged that it shouldn’t have gotten to that point.

“That’s not why we lost,” Kerr said. “We lost because we didn’t close. Again. This is like the fifth game in a row where we’ve — maybe not all five (losses) — but most of these games in this stretch, we’re not closing, we’re not executing, we’re not making good decisions, and it’s got to improve.”

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Draymond Green, who missed Tuesday’s game due to left calf tightness, was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday, according to Kerr (story via Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle). As Andy Lindquist of NBC Sports Bay Area relays, Green said on his podcast that he’s a little concerned about the calf issue, but is confident in the medical staff and believes they’re getting ahead of it before it gets any worse.
Kerr expressed frustration with Brandin Podziemski during and after Tuesday’s loss for a pair of reckless turnovers – including one in a 5-on-4 situation in transition – and committing a third-quarter foul on a jump shooter, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic details. “I love Brandin,” Kerr said after addressing a couple specific plays that bothered him. “Hell of a player. Hell of a future ahead of him. But I hope he watches this clip because he needs to hear it. He’s gotta be a smart, tough, great decision-maker. He’s very capable of it. That’s his next step.”
Even with Green sidelined, Kerr trimmed his rotation a little on Tuesday, with Lindy Waters earning his first DNP-CD since November 12 after having logged double-digit minutes in each of Golden State’s past eight games. As Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area notes, it was a productive night for both Jonathan Kuminga, who scored 19 points as part of the starting lineup, as well as Moses Moody. After playing a season-low three minutes on Saturday, Moody scored 13 points in nearly 21 minutes and had a positive plus/minus rating.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Moody, Kuminga, Waters, TJD, Looney

December 1st, 2024 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

After returning to action on Saturday following his Wednesday absence due to tendinitis in his knees, star guard Stephen Curry explained that he and the Warriors are trying to stay ahead of his knee soreness to ensure that it doesn’t become an ongoing issue, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

“(It) has the potential (to be) like a nagging type thing if you don’t take care of it,” Curry said. “I’m not worried about it, not concerned about it at all. It’s just the deeper you get into your career, the more things pop up and you just got to figure it out. … Honestly, I was happy to get through this one playing 30 (minutes) and not feeling it go the other way. Feeling like I was pretty strong. I got stronger as the game went on, and (my knees) responded well.”

As Youngmisuk writes, Warriors VP of player health and performance Rick Celebrini has a plan in place to manage the issue, according to Curry, who said it’s possible that could mean sitting “a back-to-back here or there.”

“He’s 36,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “This is all part of getting older and managing his minutes, his body, and Rick and his staff are the best in the world at what they do, and we’re working together every day on this stuff. So we’ll figure it out.”

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Following a 12-3 start this fall, Golden State lost a fourth consecutive game in Phoenix on Saturday, leading to more questions about whether the team ought to continue using 12 or 13 players on a regular basis. Curry was asked directly whether the Warriors need to tighten up their rotation a little more, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic relays. “Do we need to shorten it?” Curry said. “We probably need to be more predictable on a night-to-night basis so guys can get a little bit of a rhythm. Is that shortening it one or two guys? Maybe.”
Slater suggests that the Warriors’ super-sized rotation and inconsistent usage of certain players has “fairly clearly impacted” fourth-year guard Moses Moody and forward Jonathan Kuminga. Moody logged a season-low three minutes in Saturday’s loss, while Kuminga missed his first eight shots of the game before going 4-on-4 down the stretch as part of a small-ball lineup. Slater wonders if the Warriors may try to get Kuminga more minutes without a true center on the court in order to help get him going. “Can we get him more minutes with Steph and Draymond (Green)?” Kerr said of Kuminga. “He’s better with those guys. Most guys are. We have a lot of things to think about.”
With Kerr acknowledging that a shortened rotation is a possibility he’ll consider, Slater explores what that might look like, suggesting that Lindy Waters – who came off the bench on Saturday after starting seven consecutive games – and Trayce Jackson-Davis – whose 111.9 defensive rating is the worst among Warriors regulars – are among the candidates to lose playing time. Jackson-Davis has started 18 of 19 games so far, but Kevon Looney opened the second half with the starters vs. the Suns and is a candidate for a promotion to the starting five this week, Kerr hinted on Saturday.

Pacific Notes: Monk, DeRozan, Curry, Harden, Miller

November 26th, 2024 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings guard Malik Monk said the team would hold a meeting before Wednesday’s game in Minnesota. Sacramento enters the contest saddled with a four-game losing streak.

“We’re gonna say something,” Monk told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “I feel like we always say something after every loss, so (Tuesday) we’ll probably say something when we get to Minnesota.”

Monk’s comments came after the Kings gave up 130 points to Oklahoma City on Monday.

Monk said the team’s veterans need to speak up, specifically mentioning De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis.

“I feel like we’ve got a veteran team now with a few young guys, so we know how to turn it around,” Monk said. “Domas is going to say a few things, I’m going to say a few things, Fox will say a few things and DeMar will say a few things. We’ve got to turn it around quick, though.”

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Speaking of DeRozan, he won’t suit up on Wednesday. He experienced lower back muscle inflammation following Sunday’s game, Anderson tweets. DeRozan, noted for his durability, will be missing his fourth game this season.
Warriors star Stephen Curry is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game against OKC due to bilateral patellofemoral pain — patella soreness in both knees, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater tweets. Jonathan Kuminga, who participated in Tuesday’s practice, is also listed as questionable due to illness.
The Clippers had a five-game winning streak snapped by Boston on Monday but they’re still three games above .500. James Harden said good chemistry has led to their success, despite the absence of Kawhi Leonard. “We’re coming around, and we’re understanding who we are,” Harden told Law Murray of The Athletic. “Understanding that in order for us to have a chance at anything, we know we have to do it every single night. And that’s the most exciting part. And then, one thing about this team, we’re all happy for each other. Literally, it can be anybody’s night, on any given night. Nobody’s going to be upset; everybody’s going to be happy for each other. And things aren’t always going to be perfect to win games. But even when we lose, we’re still happy for each other. Good things will happen most of the time.”
Jordan Miller, a 2023 second-round pick, has received steady playing time over the last six Clippers games due to injuries. The two-way player has averaged 8.2 points per game during that stretch. “I’m trying to leave a good impression because I don’t know what it’s going to look like when (Norman Powell) gets back,” Miller told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “But they can see that I’m a solid player, and if anything ever goes wrong (injuries) or if we need a spark, Coach will be more confident in me moving forward versus me not playing.”

Warriors Notes: Thompson’s Return, Curry, Kuminga

November 13th, 2024 at 5:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Klay Thompson didn’t want a spectacle to surround his return to San Francisco Tuesday night, but the Warriors felt a need to do something special to honor their longtime star, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. That included having about 400 team employees lined up to cheer for him when the Mavericks‘ bus arrived at the arena and passing out captain’s hats to all fans in attendance in honor of Thompson’s love of sailing. There was also a video tribute, but a planned Stephen Curry pre-game speech was discarded by mutual agreement of the Splash Brothers.

“It was a really cool experience,” Thompson told reporters after the game. “I appreciate the fans very much. The captain’s hat ended up being a great touch, since I’m such a passionate boater. I saw a lot of familiar faces in the crowd. That was a warm-hearted feeling. So it was really cool to see fans with gratitude towards myself, and it’s something I won’t take for granted. It’s very, very awesome. It was a cool moment to feel the energy from the fans, and especially, you know, all the chatter that I heard — it was all positive. (That) just means a lot to myself, because I really enjoyed my time here and … left it all out on the floor.”

League sources told Amick that Thompson was requesting a more subdued tribute, which is an acknowledgement that his 13 years with the Warriors didn’t end on the best of terms. The organization was reluctant to commit another large, long-term contract to Thompson, who will turn 35 later this season, forcing him to consider his options in free agency. Amick reports that some people close to Thompson were hoping the team employees wouldn’t greet him when he arrived, but he was thankful after it happened.

“That was really cool,” he said. “I’m very grateful for the employees to give me that kind of love. Totally unexpected, and definitely put a smile on my face. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

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Thompson had been Curry’s teammate since entering the league, so he had never been the victim of one of the two-time MVP’s late-game scoring sprees, notes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. It happened Tuesday as Curry scored 12 of his game-high 37 points in the final four minutes to help Golden State pull out a victory. “It hurts to be on the other side of one of his flurries,” Thompson said. “Guy got hot at the end and made some ridiculous shots. I know I’ve been on the other end, and it sucks.”
Amid all the emotion of Thompson’s return, Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle believes the Warriors made a responsible decision by letting him go. Kroichick contends that the team needed to get younger, quicker and better on defense after falling in the play-in tournament last season. Instead of increasing their offer to Thompson, they were able to pursue trades for Paul George and Lauri Markkanen before ultimately adding De’Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield, who have both been productive.
Golden State has survived losing Thompson by leaning more on younger players such as Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis, per Spencer Davies of Responsible Gambler. “Now it’s just the coaches trust in us a little bit more to go out there, to be you and be free,” Kuminga said. “I think that’s what it is. At this point, they’re leaning on us, and they’re really believing in us and letting us go out there and play.”

Clippers Notes: George, Offseason, Kuminga, Bamba

November 7th, 2024 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

According to team owner Steve Ballmer, the Clippers wanted to retain Paul George over the summer and “made him a big offer,” writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. But with the Clippers unwilling to add a no-trade clause or a fourth year to the three-year offer they put on the table for George, the star forward considered other options and L.A. began envisioning life without him.

“I don’t know when the blueprint changed,” Ballmer told Youngmisuk. “The truth of the matter is our situation was changing just because the guys are getting older anyway. So the way to think about it with Paul or without Paul, it started to morph on us.”

As Youngmisuk writes, the Clippers showed with the three-year, $150MM deal they offered George that they were willing to continue operating above the second tax apron. But the front office certainly wasn’t opposed to the idea of reducing its payroll, with more punitive roster-building restrictions – including a frozen draft pick seven years out – being implemented for teams in second-apron territory.

“Once your pick becomes frozen, (and) if you’re in the second apron for multiple years, you’re really f—ed,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said. “You’re in a situation where you never have cap space and you never have your mid-level exception and you’re just strictly dealing with minimums and trades. Our goal is we want to be a sustainable contender.”

As Ballmer points out, avoiding a $50MM-per-year commitment to George allowed the Clippers to add a handful of defense-first role players who will fit the team’s new identity and should be very movable on the trade market, if necessary.

“The truth is, with Paul not coming back, we were able to upgrade our team,” Ballmer said. “We don’t (sign) Derrick Jones Jr. if Paul comes back. We don’t (sign) Kris Dunn, (or have) our new defensive identity. Might not have (signed) Kevin Porter Jr., Nico (Batum). … You could say, well, they’re not Paul George. No, they’re not Paul George. … (But) we were able to get three guys who are tough, hard-playing guys. And we still have the ability to consistently make ourselves better. So it was the right choice for us.”

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The Clippers were open to making an opt-in-and-trade George deal with the Warriors before he became a free agent and would likely have pulled the trigger if Golden State had been willing to part with Jonathan Kuminga and a first-round pick, says Sam Amick of The Athletic. The two teams briefly discussed Kuminga, but Golden State pulled him off the table, and since he was the only young Warriors the Clippers viewed as a potential star, talks fizzled after that, Amick explains.
Youngmisuk also addressed the George talks between L.A. and Golden State in his ESPN feature, reiterating that the Clippers ultimately decided the assets available to them in that deal wouldn’t have been worth the cost (in tax penalties and roster flexibility) of taking on matching salaries. “Nothing is better than something,” one league source told ESPN in explaining the team’s decision to let George walk.
Ahead of his return to L.A. on Wednesday as a member of the Sixers, George made it clear he has no hard feelings toward Clippers management and that he had a great relationship with Ballmer and Frank. “They were awesome the whole time I was here,” George said, per Youngmisuk. “Kind of the reason why it was such a shocking decision how it played out at the end. But they were awesome.”
George, who heard plenty of boos during Wednesday’s game from the Clippers faithful, told reporters after the Sixers loss that he thought that reaction was “stupid,” according to Youngmisuk. “It wasn’t something that I demanded a trade or went against the team here. I was a free agent,” George said. “The team presented something that was team-friendly, and I did what was best for me in that situation. So there were the cheers. I appreciate them. Those were the ones that I played hard for. The boos, I didn’t get it.”
Clippers center Mohamed Bamba may be nearing his debut after missing the start of the season due to left knee injury management. A source tells Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Bamba has been cleared for contact and has been involved in recent team shootarounds.

Warriors Notes: Wiggins, Podziemski, Kuminga, Moody, Curry

November 4th, 2024 at 5:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors are banking on Andrew Wiggins playing at an All-Star level, as ESPN’s Kendra Andrews details. Golden State knows it needs Wiggins’ proven production with the departure of Klay Thompson.

Wiggins missed a chunk of last season due to personal reasons.

“I want to do right by them,” Wiggins said. “It feels so good when they have that confidence in you, when they have that high praise. You want to show up for them.”

Wiggins heads into Monday’s game against the Wizards — he’s listed as probable with a low back strain — with averages of 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He still has two years left, including a player option, on his four-year, $109MM contract after this season.

“I think he’s in a place where he knows the last couple years have been tough for a lot of reasons and I think he’s primed to get back to where he was a couple years ago,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s at the age where he’s right in his physical prime, and we’ve seen him do it. He helped us win a championship. I’m expecting a big year from Wiggs.”

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With Stephen Curry sidelined by an ankle sprain the last three games, Brandin Podziemski has gotten a greater opportunity to show his play-making skills, Anthony Slater of The Athletic notes. He has averaged 14.7 points and six assists during that span.
Jonathan Kuminga has been a sparkplug since Kerr moved him to the bench the past three games, Slater adds. He scored 23 points in 26 minutes against Houston in Saturday’s overtime win. He’s averaging 18.7 points on 51.4% shooting as a reserve. “I don’t want him to love coming off the bench,” Draymond Green said. “He believes he’s a superstar. I believe he’s a superstar. As long as you believe that, you shouldn’t be OK coming off the bench. How you respond is important.” Kuminga will be a restricted free agent next summer after failing to reach a rookie scale extension agreement prior to last month’s deadline.
The incentives in Moses Moody‘s extension begins at $462,093 in 2025/26 and increase by the maximum allowable 8% a year, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger. The incentives pay out if Moody plays at least 1,600 minutes, attempts at least nine 3-pointers per 100 possessions, and achieves at least 60% true shooting. Since the extension begins next season, the only impact of Moody hitting all three of those marks this season would be whether the incentives are considered “likely” or “unlikely” for his 2025/26 cap number. If it is deemed “likely,” his cap hit goes from $11,574,075 to $12,037,038. Moody signed his three-year, $37.5MM extension on Oct. 21.
Curry returned to the lineup on Monday. Kerr announced prior to the game that his star guard was available, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets.

Trade Rumors: Kuminga, Butler, Reaves, Kessler, Giannis

November 1st, 2024 at 5:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is the headliner among the six players named by Sam Amick and John Hollinger of The Athletic as possible trade candidates to watch over the course of the 2024/25 season.

League sources tell Amick there was a “significant” gap between Kuminga and the Warriors when they discussed a possible rookie scale extension prior to the season, with Golden State’s offer topping out at around $30MM per year, while the fourth-year forward sought at least in the range of $35MM annually.

The two sides were unable to agree to an extension, putting Kuminga on track for restricted free agency in 2025. While he and the Warriors could finalize a new deal at that time, rival executives believe Golden State is “more willing than ever” to put the former No. 7 overall pick in a trade package, according to Amick, though he cautions the return would have to be significant.

Heat swingman Jimmy Butler is one name to keep an eye on, says Amick, citing league sources who say the Warriors registered some interest in the 35-year-old. Butler is extension-eligible and holds a player option for 2025/26, but reportedly plans to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors from around the NBA:

Lakers guard Austin Reaves is a favorite of both team owner Jeanie Buss and head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and has been made virtually untouchable in past trade discussions, Amick writes. The former undrafted free agent is a developmental success story, is on a team-friendly contract, and has another fan in new head coach J.J. Redick, but if the Lakers hope to make a trade for a star, they may have to have another internal discussion about how strong their hold on Reaves will be, according to Amick.
Walker Kessler is among the other possible trade candidates listed by Amick and Hollinger, with Amick suggesting that Jazz head coach Will Hardy has pushed the third-year center hard in the hopes of advancing his development and getting a clearer sense of whether he’s a long-term keeper in Utah. The Lakers are among the teams that have registered interest in Kessler, and while the Jazz are open to listening, a team source tells Amick that they wouldn’t be interested in a deal centered around D’Angelo Russell and draft picks.
The Bucks‘ slow start this season has led to a surge in trade speculation about star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. There has been no indication that Antetokounmpo will seek a change of scenery and it’s extremely unlikely Milwaukee would consider moving him if that doesn’t happen, but Bill Reiter of CBS Sports says rival executives are increasingly hopeful about the two-time MVP’s potential availability. The Nets have had interest in Antetokounmpo for years, a league source tells NetsDaily, but it’s safe to assume that could be said of many teams around the league, so Brooklyn would have plenty of competition if Giannis ever lands on the trade block.

Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Lineup, Waters, Wiggins, Moody

October 30th, 2024 at 7:41am CST by Luke Adams

With Stephen Curry sidelined on Tuesday due to a sprained ankle and Andrew Wiggins out dealing with a back strain, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr decided to revamp his starting lineup, removing Jonathan Kuminga and inserting Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, and Buddy Hield alongside Trayce Jackson-Davis and Draymond Green. As Kendra Andrews of ESPN relays, Kerr explained his thinking following an 18-point win over New Orleans.

“Without Steph and Wiggs, I didn’t want to start Trayce, Draymond, and JK,” Kerr said. “I wanted a little more spacing. I knew it would be a JK game. I knew he would play a lot … this is just about combinations and getting a bit more spacing on the floor to start. All it is, is shuffling the lineup to try to get the right five-man grouping out there.”

Although Kuminga came off the bench for the first time this fall, his 17 points and 28 minutes were both season highs. Still, while Kerr made it clear with his comments and rotation decisions that it wasn’t a demotion for Kuminga, it would have been easy for him to view it as one. Asked after the game how he felt about the move, the fourth-year forward, who will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, suggested to reporters that he and Kerr didn’t have any sort of extended conversation about it.

“It wasn’t my decision. I got a text, this is how it’s going to go, this is who it’s going to be, and I went with it,” Kuminga said. “What am I supposed to do … ask why am I not starting? This is the decision of the coach, and we will follow what he’s going to do. … At the end of the day, I’m still a professional. I’m going to do what I’ve got to do.”

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Lindy Waters has seen the floor in all four Warriors games, but Tuesday was the first time he earned rotation minutes, notes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The 27-year-old guard delivered in a major way, racking up 21 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in nearly 31 minutes of action. Golden State was a plus-26 in those minutes. “From day one of camp, this guy has been one of our best players, frankly,” Kerr said, joking that he’ll have to expand his rotation from 12 players to 13 when everyone is healthy in order to incorporate Waters.
Kerr and the Warriors plan to continue using an extended rotation for the foreseeable future, according to Andrews, who hears from sources that the club wants to use the first 30 games to trim that rotation based on which role players make the strongest cases for minutes.
Taking a look back at the Warriors’ offseason pursuits of Paul George and Lauri Markkanen, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN covers some familiar ground while also providing a couple new details. According to Youngmisuk, Kuminga’s name was never seriously discussed with the Clippers in regard to George — Golden State’s offer likely would have consisted of Wiggins, Moody, expiring contracts, and “some draft capital,” Youngmisuk writes. The Clippers weren’t interested, since taking on Wiggins’ contract would have meant continuing to operate over the tax aprons and may have complicated their pursuit of a young star in the future, sources tell ESPN.
The Santa Cruz Warriors have announced their training camp roster ahead of the 2024/25 G League season, with former lottery pick Kevin Knox among the headliners.

Pacific Notes: Hield, Wiggins, Powell, LeBron

October 26th, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Buddy Hield has been one of the best acquisitions of the summer, providing instant offense for a Warriors team that hasn’t lost since the preseason started, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. After scoring 22 points in Golden State’s opener, Hield singed the Jazz for 24 points in the first half Friday night and now has 49 points in 35 minutes while shooting 12-of-16 from three-point range.

Slater notes that the only downside for the Warriors has been an awkward starting lineup that hasn’t quite meshed despite the team’s overall success. The unit features an excess of size with Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis lining up alongside Stephen Curry. Golden State has fallen behind 12-5 and 13-6 in its first two games before rallying to take control. Coach Steve Kerr admits there are spacing issues, but he plans to keep the group together because of its defensive potential.

“That unit is still learning how to play (together),” Green said. “We didn’t have Wiggins all training camp. … Now this lineup is getting a chance to get minutes together. What you’ll start to see if we will start to settle in offensively. We’re coming out in the first quarter and everyone is trying to get to it: Go. Go. Go. Because we want that lineup to do well so bad. Everyone is coming out pressing. But once we settle down, that lineup takes over.”

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Wiggins seems to have revived his career in the early part of the season, observes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. The much-maligned forward scored 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting in the Warriors‘ opener and followed that with 13 rebounds Friday night, which is a regular-season record for him. “He’s getting off to a great start,” Kevon Looney said. “… He came with a different focus. A different energy. He’s been locked in and it’s good to see all his hard work has been paying off.”
Norman Powell is helping the Clippers stay competitive while they wait for Kawhi Leonard to return from injury, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Powell shot 14-of-21 from the field and scored 37 points as L.A. picked up its first win Saturday at Denver. “I was just focusing on what the next play was, what the next read was and really just staying in the moment,” he said. “I don’t think about how much I’m scoring or what’s going on, missed shots, made shots, good games, bad games.”
Lakers coach J.J. Redick will be supportive if LeBron James is sincere about his goal of playing every game this season, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “Most players go into a season wanting to play 82 games,” Redick said. “So if that’s what he wants to do, great. I love it. I would love to have him for 82. We’ll manage the minutes accordingly.”

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