Inside The Warriors

Steve Kerr Breaks Silence on Controversial Jonathan Kuminga Decision

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr moved Jonathan Kuminga to the bench.

Joey Linn

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr looks on against the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter during a preseason game at T-Mobile Arena.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr looks on against the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter during a preseason game at T-Mobile Arena. / Candice Ward-Imagn Images
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The Golden State Warriors picked up their third win of the NBA season on Wednesday night when they defeated the New Orleans Pelicans. This was Golden State’s most impressive win of the season, as it came without Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and De’Anthony Melton.

The injury absences of Curry and Wiggins required head coach Steve Kerr to find two new starters, but he changed his lineup even more than many expected, removing Jonathan Kuminga from the first five. Starting Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, Draymond Green, and Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kerr moved Kuminga to the bench.

This move was surprising to many, because while Kuminga had struggled to begin the season, he is theoretically Golden State’s best scoring option in a game where both Curry and Wiggins are out.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Kerr revealed his reason for benching Kuminga.

“Without Steph and [Wiggins], I didn’t wanna start Trayce, Draymond, and [Kuminga],” Kerr said. “I wanted a little more spacing. I knew it would be a JK game. I knew he would play a lot. He’s played well against this team. The matchups are good for him. I told him before the game, ‘You’re going to play a lot. This is just about combinations and getting more spacing.’”

It will be interesting to see if Kerr sticks with Kuminga off the bench as long as Curry is out. As the Warriors head coach stated, spacing is a real issue with Jackson-Davis, Green, and Kuminga without Curry to alleviate the lack of shooting.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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