Kuminga expected to return as bench player post-injury

Should Jonathan Kuminga make his return to the Golden State Warriors' lineup on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks, it's probable that he will assume a bench role. The rationale is clear: During Kuminga's absence, the Warriors have opted to start rookie big man Trayce Jackson-Davis alongside Draymond Green, resulting in impressive defensive performances.

Kuminga's absence in the last five games for the Warriors has been due to knee tendinitis. During this period, the team has remained undefeated, limiting opponents to 105.1 points per 100 possessions with an impressive plus-11.7 net rating. However, these statistics only partially capture the stellar performance of the starters. With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Green, and Jackson-Davis on the floor, Golden State has stifled opponents, allowing just 89.1 points per 100 possessions and boasting a net rating of plus-26.4 since Kuminga's injury.

This year anticipates Kuminga's potential to be a game-changer in the playoffs. Despite averaging just 3.4 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game in 10 games, his regular season performance has been remarkable. In 29 games, he averaged 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, shooting an impressive 52.7% from the field.


It's premature to label this as the Warriors' new Death Lineup. The sample size consists of just 41 minutes across four games (Thompson was absent during their 115-97 victory against the Charlotte Hornets last week), and prior to this, the lineup had only played together for eight minutes. (Including those minutes, its net rating improves to plus-28.4.) However, when such situations arise, Kerr prefers to observe the development, a practice dating back to Green replacing David Lee in Kerr's inaugural season.

Kerr mentioned that Golden State has "some players dealing with injuries." Wiggins sat out the fourth quarter on Thursday due to an ankle tweak, as stated by Kerr. The coaching staff will determine the starting lineup for the Mavericks game once the availability of players is confirmed. However, the plan is evident if the team is fully fit.

The challenge lies in the fact that Kuminga, despite being in his third year, is still only 21 years old, yet he's experiencing a breakout season. Over his last 34 games, he has averaged 20 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 30.1 minutes, boasting a 24.8% usage rate and an impressive 61.1% true shooting percentage. In March, despite reports from The Athletic indicating a loss of faith in Kerr, Kuminga expressed on the Dubs Talk podcast his desire to remain a "Warrior for life" and commended Kerr for enabling him to "play freely and excel." If Kuminga indeed transitions back to a bench role as the playoffs draw near, it will serve as a significant test of his trust in the coaching staff.

Prior to Thursday's game, Kerr mentioned that, following a couple of scrimmages, the training staff advised resting Kuminga for the Rockets game, but the Warriors were "optimistic" about his availability against Dallas. They also must be optimistic about Kuminga's ability to adapt to a sixth-man role, allowing them to build upon their recent successes in his absence.

Source CBS Sports : Why Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga will likely come off the bench when he returns from knee injury
Source Sportskeeda : Jonathan Kuminga 2024 NBA Playoff Scouting Report: Dissecting Golden State Warriors power forward's impact and minutes