Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors Notes: Starting Five, CP3, Kuminga, Klay, Haliburton

December 9th, 2023 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

There was an expectation heading into the Warriors‘ game on Friday in Oklahoma City that head coach Steve Kerr might make a change to a starting lineup that has struggled this season after being one of the NBA’s best in 2022/23. Entering Friday’s action, the five-man group of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney had posted a minus-13.0 net rating in 113 minutes.

However, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN tweets, Kerr stuck with that lineup on Friday and it was relatively effective, outscoring the Thunder by three points in nearly 16 minutes of action. Still, it wasn’t enough. After taking a 14-point lead in the first half, the Warriors watched it slip away and eventually lost in overtime in OKC.

“It’s a pattern right now,” Kerr said after the game, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “I watched this same group win a championship a year and a half ago. They’re champions. But they’re not playing like it. I’m not coaching like it. We have to figure this out.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Veteran point guard Chris Paul was a late scratch on Friday due to an illness, tweets Slater. The Warriors announced their starters before ruling out Paul, so the starting five presumably would have been the same even if he had been available.
Golden State committed 29 turnovers in Friday’s loss, which is the most in any game in the Kerr era and the most by any Warriors team since 2002, writes Slater. Kerr referred to it as an “obscene” amount of turnovers and said he plans to hold a film session to try to address the issue. “You want me to go through them?” Kerr said when asked if there were any in particular they needed to eliminate. “We will watch all 29 as a team. I can tell you that. We will watch all 29 turnovers.”
Klay Thompson praised Jonathan Kuminga for his recent play, referring to him as “the future,” according to Slater. Thompson also said he’ll “never, ever lose faith in this group” and shrugged off Charles Barkley likening the 10-12 Warriors to the Titanic on TNT’s Thursday broadcast.“The only frustration with that is will this guy ever give us any credit?” Thompson said when informed of Barkley’s comments. “You know how hard this is to do? Annually? You’d think Charles would understand how hard it is to win a championship. To do that annually? And we’re still here. What are we — 10 and 12? There’s 60 freaking regular season games left. But he’s been hating on us since 2015. So this is no surprise.”
During that same TNT broadcast, former Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers spoke about bringing Tyrese Haliburton in for a workout prior to the 2020 draft and ultimately passing on him (Twitter video link). “What bothers me more than anything was — his workout was good (but) when we met with him after, I should have known then because of who he is as a person and a leader,” Myers said. “… That conversation left a mark because of how smart he is and how confident. It’s not fake, it’s not arrogant, it’s confidence. When you talk about players wanting to play with him, that’s real. … There’s a lot of great players in the NBA that people do not want to play with. (If) you are a great player and a great person, then people want to play with you.” Haliburton said at the time that he thought he’d be a “really good fit” in Golden State — he wasn’t really in the conversation for the No. 2 overall pick, but there was a sense that he could be one of the Warriors’ targets if they traded down.

Warriors Notes: Paul, Foster, Kuminga, Jackson-Davis, Looney

December 7th, 2023 at 10:31am CST by Arthur Hill

In an interview Wednesday on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Commissioner Adam Silver called on Warriors guard Chris Paul and referee Scott Foster to get control of their long-running feud, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.

The latest incident took place November 22 when Foster ejected Paul in the second quarter of a game at Phoenix. Afterward, Paul told reporters that he and Foster “had a situation some years ago” that he described as “personal.” Paul has repeatedly expressed frustration with Foster over the years, and his teams are just 3-17 in playoff games that Foster has officiated.

“You have there — two veterans who are the best at what they do,” Silver said. “Scott is one of the most respected NBA officials, one of the highest-rated NBA officials, which is why he referees in our Finals games. Of course, Chris’s track record speaks for itself. The way you handle that, at least the way we’ve tried to handle that, is talk to both of them and say, ‘The expectation is that you’re going to be professional.’ And deal privately with the two of them and say guys, ‘Whatever the bad blood is between you two, you don’t have to be friends, but you’ve got to both go out and do your jobs.’ So that’s my expectation moving forward.”

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Jonathan Kuminga made a strong bid for more minutes on a night when he wasn’t expected to play at all, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kuminga was bumped from the rotation with Paul and Andrew Wiggins returning from injuries, but he entered Wednesday’s game against Portland with 17 minutes remaining and never came off the floor. Kuminga rejected the idea that he only excels against young, athletic opponents. “I can play against any team,” he said. “It don’t matter. I enjoy playing against anybody.”
Injuries and the suspension to Draymond Green have forced coach Steve Kerr to juggle his lineups at the beginning and end of games, and he indicated that process will continue, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “Every night is going to be different with this team, that’s what I am figuring out,” Kerr said. “What we need each night seems to be different depending on the matchup, depending on how the game is going. It’s hard to predict what is going to happen each night, it’s also hard to play 10 to 11 guys. … We don’t have roster clarity in terms of who’s going to play every single night.”
Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis may get a chance to show that he can be the rim protector the Warriors need, Poole adds in a separate story. Jackson-Davis is averaging just 7.8 minutes in 13 games, but Kerr suggested this week that he might get an increased opportunity. “We’re trying to get certain lineups going, trying to get certain guys going,” Kerr said. “… Trayce is in our back pocket. We like him. He may get that chance at some point.”
Kevon Looney‘s dependability has put him on a significant list in franchise history, per Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. Wednesday’s game was the 214th consecutive for Looney, which ties him for 10th place with Klay Thompson. “That’s the one name I really care about,” Looney said. “I want to say I beat him at something.”

Warriors Notes: Saric, Green, Kuminga, Moody, Jackson-Davis

November 25th, 2023 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors kept their chances alive to advance in the in-season tournament with a win over San Antonio on Friday night, but it might not have happened without another strong performance from Dario Saric, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Saric came off the bench to hit four three-pointers and score 20 points in 26 minutes, along with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. He has reached the 20-point mark in all three of Golden State’s tournament games.

Saric has been a tremendous find in free agency for a team that needed size but didn’t have many resources available to spend. He signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract, so he’ll be back on the open market in 2024.

“We gave him a hard (free agency) pitch,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He asked me, ‘How much am I going to play? Am I going to play?’ He knew this was a year he slipped through the cracks, free agency-wise, and needed to be in a good spot to show what he could do. This is definitely the spot. He’s playing so well. He’s clearly a player who is going to command a big salary next summer.”

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Draymond Green‘s return from his five-game suspension will create some difficult decisions for Kerr, Slater observes in the same piece. Saric is playing too well to cut his minutes and Kevon Looney is a fixture in the frontcourt, so that may lead to less playing time for Jonathan Kuminga. Although Kuminga wasn’t outstanding during Green’s absence, Slater notes that he played an important role in Friday’s win, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Kerr made a change to his starting lineup Friday, Slater adds, replacing Chris Paul with Moses Moody. Even though he came off the bench, Paul logged 29 minutes compared to Moody’s 17. “Just wanted to change some of the combinations,” Kerr explained. “We were looking to get some different guys together and some apart.”
Trayce Jackson-Davis is a huge fan of the NIL system, which enabled him to amass more than $1MM in sponsorships in college and remain at Indiana long enough to polish his skills for the NBA, per Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Kerr is happy to have a rare rookie with four years of NCAA experience. “He has (126) college games under his belt, so you don’t have to teach him a lot of the things you’d normally expect to have to teach a rookie,” Kerr said. “He’s another guy I’d like to play more because he’s a very good player. I just haven’t been able to find the minutes.”

Warriors Notes: Green, Kerr, Kuminga, Savings, Curry

November 16th, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Warriors have lost their last four games, as well as five of their last six, and Draymond Green‘s suspension following an altercation with Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert on Tuesday makes matters more difficult, writes NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole. Green was suspended five games by the NBA for “escalating an on-court altercation and forcibly grabbing (Gobert) around the neck in an unsportsmanlike and dangerous manner.”

On top of being without Green, Stephen Curry is battling a minor knee injury and will miss his second straight game on Thursday night against the Thunder. To overcome the absences of Green and Curry, the Warriors are going to need everyone else to step up, including offseason acquisition Chris Paul, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson. Paul started off the year with just six turnovers in his first eight games, including no turnovers in four straight games, but has 10 in his last four outings.

“We’re not doing a great job of getting organized,” Green said. “I’ve got to do a better job of making sure we’re getting into some things. Chris got to do a better job. We both need to do a better job of getting us into things. When Steph’s got it going, he’s just moving and going. It’s on us to realize that and learn how to also use him when he’s got it going to get other guys looks as well.”

Rookie Brandin Podziemski made the most of an extended opportunity without Green against Minnesota, finishing that game with 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists. He’s going to stay in the rotation moving forward, according to Johnson.

“I look at myself like a spare tire,” Podziemski said. “Whenever something is wrong with the tire, I just go in and fix it. Whatever coach asks me, that is what I have to do.”

Trayce Jackson-Davis and Dario Saric should also see their opportunities continue to grow. Saric started against the Wolves and recorded 21 points. Both his and Podziemski’s contributions allowed the Warriors to almost win that game and should keep them competitive moving forward. Johnson adds that Klay Thompson, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Andrew Wiggins need to step up as well.

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Head coach Steve Kerr was fully supportive of the NBA’s decision to suspend Green when speaking to reporters on Thursday. According to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews (Twitter link), Green took it too far in taking action against Gobert and Kerr called the suspension “deserved.” “Draymond has to find a way to not cross the line – I’m not talking about an ejection or a technical – I’m talking about a physical act of violence. That’s inexcusable,” Kerr said (Twitter link via Andrews).
Third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga is starting in place of Green on Thursday, tweets The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. Kerr’s instructions for Kuminga were to “run the floor, rebound, dive, get to the line. I want him to shoot the 3.” Kuminga is averaging 11.5 points in his first 11 games this season. Thursday’s game will be his 29th career start and he averages 12.2 points as a starter in his career.
The Green suspension also has some financial implications for the Warriors. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), Green will forfeit $769,705 in salary, which will save the Warriors $2,597,762. The Warriors receive a tax variance credit which is worth 50% of Green’s lost salary and that variance is applied to team salary that counts toward the tax, Marks explains.
Curry remains one of the league’s top players, but he’s thinking about his post-playing career, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson. Curry “absolutely” wants to be an NBA owner in the future. “Understanding the business and how the NBA is run, what all goes into this huge behemoth of an operation, it fascinates you to understand, where’s the future headed?” Curry said. “The league has changed so much in the 15 years I’ve been in and hopefully I’ll be still playing for a good while.“

Warriors Notes: Green, Klay, Curry, Podziemski, More

November 15th, 2023 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday’s in-season tournament game between the Warriors and Timberwolves got chippy before either team had scored a single point.

As Kendra Andrews of ESPN details, Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got tied up battling for rebounding positioning early in the first quarter, then continued to grab and shove each other on the way back up the court, prompting referees to stop play and Wolves center Rudy Gobert to try to intervene. Warriors forward Draymond Green rushed in and put Gobert in a headlock before players were separated (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report).

McDaniels and Thompson were each given two technical fouls and ejected from the game, while Green was also thrown out after being assessed with a flagrant 2 foul. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic relays (via Twitter), official Tyler Ford explained after the game that the referees viewed Gobert as a peacemaker. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn’t agree with that ruling or the decision to eject Thompson.

“There is no way Klay should have been ejected. That was ridiculous,” Kerr said, per Andrews. “I was upset about that. As far as the Draymond piece of it, Rudy had his hands on Klay’s neck. That’s why Draymond went after Rudy.”

McDaniels downplayed his role in the altercation following a Minnesota victory, telling reporters that after Thompson grabbed him, he was “trying to defend myself and get him off me.” McDaniels said he was “laughing” as it happened and that he didn’t expect the situion to escalate the way it did, adding, “I guess it was a bigger deal to (Thompson).”

Gobert, meanwhile, referred to Green’s actions as “clown behavior” and offered an explanation for the Warriors star’s early ejection: “Every time Steph (Curry) doesn’t play, (Green) doesn’t want to play without his guy Steph, so he does anything he can to get ejected.”

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While a suspension seems extremely unlikely for Gobert, McDaniels, or Thompson, it’s possible Green – who has a history of facing fines and suspensions for on-court physicality – will face further punishment. “I do hope that the league is going to do what needs to be done,” Gobert said after the game in reference to an additional penalty for Green, according to Andrews.
Kerr said the results of an MRI on Curry’s sore right knee were “good news” and that the two-time MVP is unlikely to be sidelined for an extended period, Slater writes for The Athletic. “Nothing alarming. So I would say he’s day to day and we’ll see,” Kerr said. “We’ll just have an update each day and let you know what’s going on. But it won’t be long. If he misses another game or two, whatever, it’s not going to be anything long-term.”
The Warriors’ rotation without Curry, Thompson, and Green was “jumbled up,” Slater notes, but it gave Brandin Podziemski a chance to play a career-high 39 minutes. The rookie became the first Warrior besides Curry this season to score more than 20 points in a game, finishing with 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Forward Dario Saric, who got his second start as a Warrior, also surpassed the 20-point mark, contributing 21.
Tim Kawakami of The Athletic takes a closer look at Podziemski’s breakout game, suggesting that the No. 19 overall pick played with the sort of confidence and toughness that Golden State had been looking for. “He’s going to play,” Kerr said of Podziemski, who had previously logged 52 total minutes in six appearances. “He’s going to play every night. He’s earned that. He was incredible tonight. He’s been great in practice. There’s something unique about him at that size to rebound the way he does. He had seven tonight. He’s always in the right spot. He’s fearless. He connects the game. He plays the way we want to play. The ball moves when he’s out there. He’s attacking at the right times, he’s cutting at the right times. Defensively he’s really good. He’s a damn good player, so he’s going to play.”
Even though the Warriors were without their three stars for nearly all of Tuesday’s game, Jonathan Kuminga only played 16 minutes and Moses Moody just 14, according to Slater, who says neither player has staked out a bigger role in the rotation so far this season. The path to increased minutes for the two former lottery picks may be further complicated by Podziemski’s rise, Slater adds.

Western Notes: Kerr, Vincent, Reaves, Kidd, Holmgren

November 3rd, 2023 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr suggested on a press call with international media on Thursday that he’d consider the idea of taking a sabbatical from the NBA if the longtime core players of his championship teams – Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green – were no longer the roster, according to Leonard Solms of ESPN.

“With the core group of Steph, Klay and Draymond, we’ve been together now almost a decade. If they were not here, I could see [myself] maybe taking a sabbatical,” Kerr said. “It might be refreshing and recharging to do so in some ways, but I love these guys and this team so much and we have this window and I’m not going anywhere for the time being. I want to be with them and continue to coach them [for] the next few years.”

Wary of burnout for both himself and his team, Kerr indicated that he plans to manage the workloads of the Warriors’ top players carefully this season in order to avoid fatigue and to keep them fresh. That could provide an opportunity for young players like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody to play more significant roles on a more regular basis.

“I think the players will enjoy it, and I know the coaches are excited about it,” Kerr said. “We’re not going to treat it like the NBA Finals — I’m not going to play Steph Curry for 45 minutes because we have to think of the long-term health of our team — but we definitely want to win, and we’re going to be very competitive.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Lakers guard Gabe Vincent has been diagnosed with left knee effusion and will miss at least two weeks of action before being reevaluated, the team announced on Thursday night (Twitter link via Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times). With Vincent unavailable, more minutes should open up for reserve guard Max Christie behind starters D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves.
In Vincent’s absence, the Lakers will also need more from Reaves, who got off to a slow start this season following a big summer that saw him sign a four-year, $54MM contract and represent Team USA in the World Cup. The club is optimistic that a solid game against the Clippers on Wednesday will be a jumping-off point for Reaves, writes Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is battling a non-COVID illness and didn’t travel with the team to Denver for Friday’s game, sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Assistant coach Sean Sweeney will be Dallas’ acting head coach for the team’s first in-season tournament game, Stein adds.
Following a lost rookie season, Thunder center Chet Holmgren is healthy again, and the way he’s playing on both ends of the court has clarified the team’s playing style, according to Zach Kram of The Ringer, who says the big man is also capable of accelerating Oklahoma City’s contention timeline.

Warriors Exercise Fourth-Year Options On Kuminga, Moody

October 31st, 2023 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have picked up their fourth-year options for the 2024/25 season on forward Jonathan Kuminga and wing Moses Moody, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT first reported (via Twitter) that Moody’s option had been exercised.

Kuminga, the No. 7 overall pick in 2021, saw regular minutes for the Warriors in each of his first two NBA seasons. He’s off to a solid start in 2023/24, averaging 11.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per night through three games off the bench, though he missed Monday’s game due to a knee contusion.

Kuminga’s fourth-year option in 2024/25, worth $7,636,307, is now guaranteed. Today’s decision will also put him on track to become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2024 offseason and – if he doesn’t sign a new deal next year – for restricted free agency in 2025.

Moody has seen less consistent playing time than Kuminga since being drafted 14th overall in 2021 by Golden State. However, he’s logging a career-high 19.3 minutes per game in the very early going this season, recording 9.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.5 SPG in four appearances.

Moody, like Kuminga, will now be eligible for a rookie scale extension next July. Today’s option pick-up guarantees his $5,803,269 salary for 2024/25.

Pacific Notes: Durant, Beal, Booker, James, Mann, Thompson, Kuminga

October 30th, 2023 at 10:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Many NBA fans are eager to see how Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker will mesh during the regular season. However, the wait for the Suns’ big three will continue through Tuesday. Booker (ankle) is doubtful and Beal (back) is out for Phoenix’s game against San Antonio on Tuesday, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets.

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On the same topic, Durant told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.com that he’s not fretting over the team’s health issues now or in the long run. “I don’t look at that stuff like that,” he said. “I know people have those concerns. But I just think that is just people hoping, to be honest, that we don’t finish the season. Every team can say, ‘Shouldn’t you be worried about injuries?’ Every team can say that.”
LeBron James popped up on the Lakers’ injury report prior to their game against Orlando, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. His issue was left ankle tendonitis. James was a game-time decision but was good to go.
Clippers guard Terance Mann (sprained ankle) has shed his walking boot but didn’t practice on Monday, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Mann has yet to make his season debut.
Klay Thompson (knee soreness) and Jonathan Kuminga (knee contusion) didn’t play for the Warriors against New Orleans on Monday, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.

And-Ones: Extensions, Breakouts, B. Smith, Defenders

October 27th, 2023 at 10:35pm CST by Rory Maher

2023 set a record for rookie scale extensions, with 14 contracts signed before the October 23 deadline. Typically, rookie scale extensions go almost exclusively to stars or at least starters, but that wasn’t the case this year.

John Hollinger of The Athletic classifies it as a “middle-class revolution” with six players signing at or below the projected 2024/25 mid-level exception, and a couple others receiving slightly more than that. Several of those players come off the bench for their respective clubs.

As Hollinger writes, there are several reasons why both teams and players may have been motivated to reach new deals. For players, avoiding restricted free agency was surely a factor — Magic guard Cole Anthony and Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu recently said that was the case for them.

For teams, a salary cap that is projected to rise substantially in the coming years will help “water down” some of the contracts. Mid-sized contracts are also very useful for trade purposes, Hollinger observes, with free agency limitations likely a major consideration for the Celtics (Payton Pritchard) and Nuggets (Zeke Nnaji) due to their payrolls (both project to be over the second apron in ’24/25).

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

In another article for The Athletic, Hollinger lists 12 players he believes are primed for breakout seasons in 2023/24, with some fairly obvious choices and some under-the-radar picks as well. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes and Hornets center Mark Williams are five of the players Hollinger thinks will see “big upticks in production.”
Former Cavaliers forward Bingo Smith has passed away at age 77, according to Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Smith played 10 season for Cleveland from 1970-80. Smith is still sixth in franchise history in points and fourth in games played, among other statistical marks. His No. 7 jersey hangs in the rafters as one of only seven players to have their number retired, Withers adds. “Bingo was always a giving teammate and one of the most fierce competitors I ever played with,” said former Cavs star and current broadcaster Austin Carr. “This is truly a sad moment in our franchise history and my heart goes out to his family.”
Jon Krawczynski and Josh Robbins of The Athletic ran an anonymous poll to see which players coaches identify as the best defenders in the NBA. Celtics guard Jrue Holiday was the only unanimous choice for first-team All-Defense, receiving all 12 votes. The remaining spots were filled by Jaren Jackson Jr. (forward), Brook Lopez (center), Alex Caruso (guard), OG Anunoby, and Draymond Green (the latter two tied for the second forward spot). Holiday was also third in the survey’s Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Jackson and Lopez, who finished first and second for the actual award last season. Evan Mobley, who was third in DPOY media voting last season and named first-team All-Defense, finished sixth in DPOY voting in The Athletic’s coaches poll and was second-team All-Defense.

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Green, CP3, Kuminga

October 27th, 2023 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Klay Thompson and the Warriors can finalize an extension at any time between now and June 30, 2024, so they didn’t need to come to an agreement before the regular season begins. Still, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic notes (via Twitter video), some players view opening night as an artificial deadline and prefer to table those talks until after the season if they don’t agree to terms by then.

Asked if he’s taking that route, Thompson didn’t confirm it one way or the other, but he also didn’t sound like a player who plans to be actively engaged in pursuing a new deal during the season.

“I’m focused on the daily dedication it takes to do this job,” Thompson said. “I’m not worried about an extension right now. That’ll all play itself out.”

Recent reports from ESPN and The Athletic have indicated that the Warriors and Thompson are pretty far apart on years and money, increasing the likelihood that the veteran sharpshooter could reach free agency next summer. It’s very possible the two sides will bridge that gap at some point between now and June 30, but Thompson acknowledged that he intends to savor this season “just in case” it’s his last in Golden State.

“Oh yeah, you never know what’s going to happen,” Thompson said. “I’m going to savor this as much as I can, especially in this uniform. I was here before it sweet, before it was four championships. Twenty-three wins (in 2011/12). I was here building the foundation, so yeah I’m going to savor it. Because everyone around the world thinks it’s sweet when they look at (the) Warriors, but it hasn’t always been like this. So I’m going to savor the heck out of it.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Warriors forward Draymond Green won’t play on Friday vs. Sacramento, but he just needs to regain his proper conditioning and is “close” to returning to action, per head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter link via Kendra Andrews of ESPN).
Regardless of whether or not Chris Paul continues to start for the Warriors once Green returns, his main role will be as the floor general for the team’s second unit, a source tells Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Paul is the “quintessential” player for that role, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, who observes that the veteran guard’s playing style represents the counterbalance to Golden State’s “organized chaos.”
Even after Green is back, Kerr expects it to take a few weeks for the Warriors to get fully comfortable with their new lineups and the new additions to their rotation, according to Andrews. “This is just the first glimpse of the regular season,” he said. “It usually takes 20, 25 games to really know your team and feel the actions you need, the combinations you have.”
After rolling with Jonathan Kuminga over Andrew Wiggins – and giving Gary Payton II some playing time – in the fourth quarter on Tuesday, Kerr told reporters that he liked the way Kuminga and Payton were defending, and that he won’t hesitate to go with the hot hand in crunch time this season. “That’s how it’s going to be a lot of nights this year,” Kerr said, per C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle. “Whoever is playing best will finish the game.”

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