The Warriors are one of the hottest teams in basketball. Since Jimmy Butler made his debut with the team, they are 10-2, and the vibes in the Bay are immaculate. There is also reason for even more optimism. The Warriors’ young forward, Jonathan Kuminga, has been out since January 4 and has had his return pushed back multiple times. He has now missed 29 games, the longest injured stretch of his early career. Although there haven’t been any Kuminga injury updates regarding a step-back in his recovery, is it time for Warriors fans to wonder why their budding star still hasn’t taken the court?
The One Player Warriors Fans Should Be Concerned About
Jimmy Butler Makes Kuminga’s Injury Absence More Palatable
The Warriors are on fire. They are 10-1 with Butler in the lineup and have a new swagger that seems to be taking over the entire team. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green look like they’ve been drinking from the fountain of youth, and Butler has the team improving on both sides of the ball.
Since Kuminga went down with a severe ankle injury, the Warriors were wondering where they were going to get scoring and defensive physicality from. Trading for Butler seemed to be the perfect solution. Butler is averaging almost identical scoring and rebounding numbers as Kuminga, but the playmaking and IQ are giving the Warriors an incredible new weapon. Still, even though the Warriors are winning, some are starting to get concerned with Kuminga’s lingering absence.
The Next Kuminga Injury Update Better Be A Good One
At one point, the Warriors even speculated that Kuminga could be back before the All-Star break. That was about three weeks ago. Then, there were reports that Kuminga would return on the Warriors’ most recent road trip. Five games later, Kuminga is still nowhere to be found.
There has been no report that Kuminga has had any injury setbacks. However, it seems that the ankle sprain may have been more severe than originally anticipated. The Warriors could be just playing it safe. They are winning games without him and might not feel rushed to get him back on the floor until he is 100% healthy. Even so, the Warriors need Kuminga to take their team to even higher levels.
With Kuminga, the Warriors’ Roster Is Even More Dangerous
With Butler on the team, it seems like the Warriors are back to being one of the best teams in the league. They could still be better though. The Warriors are still playing some deep-bench players on a nightly basis. Although those guys have filled their roles well, adding a game-changer like Kuminga into the lineup can make the Warriors even more deadly.
Kuminga can dominate a game on either side of the ball. On any given night, he can be the best scorer on the floor or even take the assignment of the other team’s best player. Any game he does either of those things are games that Butler, Green, and Curry can get a little rest. Kuminga could allow those three to be fresh for the playoffs, and that will make them more dangerous than anything else.
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