Left on the bench by his coach Steve Kerr during the Warriors’ completely failed end to the match against Denver yesterday, Jonathan Kuminga is frustrated. And not just a little. According to the latest information from San Francisco, the young winger has lost all confidence in his coach.
Author of 16 points in 19 minutes against the Nuggets on Thursday, Jonathan Kuminga undoubtedly wondered why he was not on the field during the fourth quarter of the game, when Golden State let slip an advantage of… 18 points in the last seven minutes of the match. He was one of the best Warriors on the floor, and yet it was Andrew Wiggins who finished the game for him. A fairly incomprehensible choice on the part of Steve Kerr, but above all a choice which broke the player’s trust in his coach.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Kuminga simply no longer believes in Steve Kerr to maximize his potential. Atmosphere atmosphere…
After sitting the final 18 minutes of Nuggets loss, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has lost faith in Steve Kerr and no longer believes that Kerr will allow him to reach his full potential, sources say.
Story at @TheAthletic with @anthonyVslater: https://t.co/TIAGABnyS8
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 5, 2024
It’s a bit like the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Steve Kerr’s use of Jonathan Kuminga has often been a topic of debate in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sometimes in the rotation, sometimes not, JK has seen his playing time vary a lot since his arrival with the Dubs in 2021. But if this could sometimes be explained by the irregularity of the player in recent seasons, it is much less the case today. Amid the turbulence that characterizes this 2023-24 campaign, Golden State has left more room for young people, notably Kuminga: 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2 assists on average over the last month for JK (11 starts, more of 25 minutes per match), at 57% shooting success. The winger even received praise from Kerr recently.
Hence the incomprehension regarding his being placed on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Nuggets.
“Kuminga played well. Usually he comes back with six or five minutes left in the fourth quarter. But Andrew Wiggins was good, and we were doing well, with an 18 or 19 point lead. So we continued with him. And after that, handing over Kuminga wasn’t the best thing to do. He had been sitting on the bench for a long time. So I stayed with the same group that was on the field, but obviously we finished badly.”
– Steve Kerr, who justifies his choice
We wonder how this situation will evolve from now on. Will Steve Kerr change Jonathan Kuminga’s role? Will JK be angry 24/7? Will there be any movements before the trade deadline? What will the rotation be with the upcoming return of Draymond Green?
Lots of questions, but above all a lot of doubts and drama in Golden State. As if there weren’t enough already…
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Source texte : The Athletic
2024-01-05 18:13:00
#Jonathan #Kuminga #longer #confidence #Steve #Kerr..
