The Golden State Warriors need some scoring help. With their top two scorers, Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, sidelined on Tuesday night, many expected fourth-year player Jonathan Kuminga to take the torch as the Warriors leading scorer. To the surprise of many, however, head coach Steve Kerr moved Kuminga to the bench for their game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. With Curry and Wiggins out, and the lackluster Kuminga stats, his move to the bench truly highlighted the full Warriors depth chart and gave the young wing new life.
Warriors Move Young Star To Bench Despite Injuries To Starters
Uninspiring Kuminga Stats
Kuminga bet on himself this summer. Instead of signing a contract extension, the young forward and his team could not agree with the Warriors on a long-term deal. Kuminga is entering his fourth season with a lot of money on the line.
Jonathan Kuminga tells @itszenakeita how he stayed "professional" to deliver a big game off the bench 🫡 pic.twitter.com/4xuzeX0awH
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 30, 2024
The Warriors are hoping that Kuminga’s bet on himself plays out. For them, paying Kuminga near max money would mean that he proved himself a reliable second option this season and a potential superstar to carry the Warriors into a Curry-less future. Kuminga failing to meet expectations might allow the Warriors to sign him to a team-friendly deal (like they did with Moses Moody), but it would mean he didn’t take the leap this season many were hoping for.
The first three games for Kuminga left a bit to be desired. Kuminga started the season scoring 12 points or less in all three games and shooting poorly from the field and three-point distance. He ended last season averaging 16.1 points per game and shooting 32.1% from three. After three games this season, he was averaging eight points per game while shooting 1-of-9 from three-point range.
Kuminga Stats Put Him on Second Unit
Before their fourth game, Kerr made a bold move. Even while missing Curry and starting small forward Wiggins, Kerr decided to move Kuminga to the bench to see if a change of scenery could get the forward going.
Steve Kerr on Jonathan Kuminga’s move to the bench: “I told him before the game: ‘You’re going to play a lot. This is just about combinations and getting more spacing.’” pic.twitter.com/lU62e99xW4
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 30, 2024
In large part, Kerr’s gamble paid off. Kuminga came off the bench and had his best game of the season so far, scoring 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting while adding two steals and one block to his stat sheet. The main reason for Kuminga’s success in the Pelicans game was his offensive aggressiveness. In the Clippers game, Kuminga settled on offense by shooting over half of his attempts from three. On Tuesday, Kuminga attacked the paint and shot only three of his 13 shot attempts from range.
Warriors Depth Chart Shows Off
Kuminga was hardly the only bright spot for the Warriors in Tuesday’s game. After going down 20 points in the first quarter, it looked like the undermanned Warriors were going to take their second loss of the season. Instead, Buddy Hield and reserve Lindy Waters III carried the team offensively.
Hield went nuclear from three-point range, shooting 7-of-11 from distance to the tune of a team-high 28 points. Waters III was 8-of-13 from the field, adding 21 points himself. It is unclear if Kuminga will continue to come off the bench, but his stats and the play from the rest of the Warriors depth chart indicate that the move may have worked.
