The Golden State Warriors lost their last regular-season game-and a top-six seed-to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night without a healthy Jonathan Kuminga taking the floor. The move left fans wondering why head coach Steve Kerr didn’t play the young forward in a must-win situation. Even with Steph Curry putting up 36 points with an injured thumb and Jimmy Butler adding 30 of his own, the Clippers still got away with the 124-119 overtime win at the Chase Center. As a result, the Warriors dropped to the Play-In Tournament to host the Memphis Grizzlies, while the James Harden-led squad clinched the Western Conference’s fifth seed. After the game, Kerr spoke to reporters and explained his controversial decision. “We’ve just found a group since Jimmy got here that we’re pretty comfortable with. … Both he [Gui Santos] and JK have been really impactful players for us,” Kerr said, per KNBR.
“It doesn’t mean they’re out of the loop going forward, this is just how this game played out. … I just told him in the walkthrough [that we were gonna not go to the usual rotation in the first quarter]. I didn’t tell him he wasn’t going to play cause I wasn’t sure if he was going to play or not.”
Throughout the game, Kuminga was seen staying warm on a stationary bike in the Warriors’ tunnel. Despite that, the 22-year-old didn’t get a chance to step on the floor. Off the bench, Kerr opted to use Gary Payton II, Quinten Post, Kevon Looney and Buddy Hield. Payton, in particular, got 25 minutes of action and was featured heavily in the fourth quarter and overtime. It remains to be seen whether Jonathan Kuminga will get some playing time in the Warriors’ upcoming Play-In Tournament showdown against the Grizzlies. Nevertheless, Kerr’s recent move does not bode well for the forward’s immediate future.
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