The Golden State Warriors roller coaster season continues.
Since acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat at the NBA trade deadline, the Warriors are 18-4 when the six-time All-Star suits up. A team that was 25-25 on Feb. 6, his arrival has coincided with a remarkable turnaround. It’s long been understood that Butler’s two-way playmaking and playoff performances would be benefits of his addition. Yet, his interior gravity and ability to draw free-throws has generated buzz as well.
The big question was how the team would look when Jonathan Kuminga returned.
This season, he was shooting above 40 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s prior to his injury. However, like Butler, he would much rather do damage inside the 3-point circle. In theory, having Kuminga and Butler on the floor at the same time would compromise spacing. Even going small with Draymond Green at center isn’t a great solution, his reputation as a mediocre 3-point shooter preceding him.
Warriors Forward Jonathan Kuminga’s Injury Illuminates Absence
Kuminga has now played nine games since returning from his ankle injury. In that span, the Warriors have gone 6-3. But there’s a caveat.
They were just 5-3 heading into Sunday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. They ended up winning by 42 points. However, Kuminga only played six and a half minutes during the blowout after experiencing right ankle soreness. As noted by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, that’s the same ankle he injured in early January.
Jonathan Kuminga: Right ankle soreness, per Warriors. Will not return. That’s the same ankle that kept him out for 31 games.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 31, 2025
With that in mind, the Warriors could just be being cautious. Even still, it’s an injury that’ll be worth monitoring throughout the season.
Better With Him Than Without
For myriad reasons, Golden State’s fan base continues to be impatient with regard to the 22-year-old’s development. Nevertheless, teammates like Green have publicly supported Kuminga, believing he’s an important piece of their championship puzzle. To that point, the Warriors are now sixth in the Western Conference standings at 43-31. With eight games remaining, they’ve yet to clinch a playoff berth.
Kuminga was a -45 in the eight games prior to Sunday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. He was just 3-19 (15.8 percent) from 3-point range. Still, they’re a better team with him than without him.
Keep in mind, in the eight games that preceded Sunday’s game, he averaged 14.3 points, 2.8 assists, and 0.9 steals in 23.4 minutes per contest. He converted 15 drives, higher than Butler (12), while shooting 45.5 percent from the field on those attempts. He converted 58.3 percent of his paint touches, also higher than Butler (52.2). Like Butler, he had converted 50.0 percent of his post-ups. At the other end, Butler allowed more than twice as many field goals (20) as Kuminga (9).
© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
