When the Golden State Warriors drafted Jonathan Kuminga with their prime lottery choice in 2021, the expectation was that Kuminga could be the main candidate to take the torch from Stephen Curry. An athletic wing with the potential to be a two-way wing, expectations for Kuminga have been sky excessive.
These excessive hopes by no means materialized for the younger ahead. His tenure was outlined by a scarcity of a transparent function, inconsistent on-court manufacturing, and a really strained relationship with head coach Steve Kerr. Kuminga requested a commerce a number of instances over the past couple seasons, however simply acquired his want a pair weeks in the past when he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis.
The Kuminga-Warriors partnership could have got here to its merciful finish, however the aftermath has revealed much more of how messy the connection between Kuminga and Kerr was.
Head coach Steve Kerr noticed Kuminga as extra of a task participant than a budding star
In an in-depth ESPN piece by Anthony Slater, Kerr reportedly noticed Kuminga as a high-energy wing that might defend, run the ground, and function out of the dunker spot. He in contrast the younger ahead to Shawn Marion or Aaron Gordon. Kerr thought that could possibly be a invaluable function for Kuminga to play.
Kuminga didn’t see it that method. He thought that he had proven sufficient to earn a constant on-ball function and be a rotation fixture. He felt that Kerr was placing him in a field and didn’t imagine in him as a participant.
The 2 may by no means see eye to eye on Kuminga’s function, which led to arguments in Kerr’s workplace, passive aggressive postgame media availabilities from Kuminga, and a number of DNPs.
Whereas Kuminga did present potential as an on-ball creator, given the truth that Golden State continues to be Curry’s staff, he would have been higher suited to play the function Kerr envisioned for him. In any case, it’s not like Curry goes to play for ceaselessly and Kuminga may have had the function he wished for as soon as Curry retired. He simply didn’t need to wait.
Kuminga desperately wanted a change of surroundings and the Warriors wanted to maneuver on and get a participant who could be a greater match subsequent to Curry. Possibly Kuminga will get the massive function he envisions for himself in Atlanta and possibly Porzingis is the reply that Golden State has been on the lookout for on the middle spot. Both method, it was a tumultuous, however obligatory divorce.
