[Andrews] If [Draymond] Green starts as a power forward, the only spot for [Jonathan] Kuminga would be the small forward. However, there is uncertainty from some coaches if the fourth year player can be comfortable at the three with this group.
by Steph-Paul
23 Comments
Coaches: We need you to improve as a shooter this offseason so we can play you at the 3
Kuminga: *improves as a shooter*
Coaches: You know what, we’re actually just not that comfortable starting you. Yes, we know our two best starting lineups last season featured you, but as you know, this is a new year. Congrats on improving, though!
What the fuck is the plan here? Kuminga is CLEARLY a SF. Draymond even had a quote about it recently, where he said Kuminga is naturally a 3 and teams that stick guys at the 4 just because of their size are dumb. You need a certain skill set that Kuminga doesn’t currently have to play the 4. If you’re saying he can’t play the 3 then wtf?!
Before you freak out, I’m pretty sure most of you agree. It says “with this group” not “at the 3 with any group”
It would be more comfortable for JK and Dray to play with a spacer 4 or 5.
Mike should ask his dad what he had to deal with as a Blazercoach .
It always seems like it’s the Warriors that have the problem getting athletic players who can create their own shot playing time and not other teams. It’s the coaching staff’s job to make that shit work, so make it fucking work. Put him out there at the three and figure out what he needs to do to play consistent minutes. It’s so tiring to hear JK is untradeable but then he’s not playable?! If the coaching staff can’t figure out how he fits then just trade him and get some value for him.
I dont know with y’all, but Curry and Kuminga has never meshed well with each other. The motion offense Kerr likes them to operate will deteriorate everytime JK is at the 3 and will limit Curry’s game.
JK can be at the 4, but he doesnt have the defensive chops or length or bulk to get scruffy there like Kerr would want him to have.
is there any data to show the drop in Kumingas defensive performance last season because he was moved to play 4 instead of 3 in his 2nd season where he went on that 20+ppg streak? As far as I can tell there is no clear signs wiggins is going to be much improved from last year and I dont see a point in benching kuminga from the get go for wiggins. If kuminga can guard 3s to a similar level as wiggins, kuminga should start because he is the only guy on this roster other than a healthy gp2 that can make explosive plays and disrupt defense
I think the big question at this point is whether or not they feel JK’s shooting leap has been enough to where he comfortably fits next to Dray and TJD/Loon in a lineup. Based off of this quote, it seems like they’re not quite there yet.
Wiggins could also play the 2. Just saying.
The MO of the Dunleavy FO seems to be to frustrate the hell out of its players with their indecision and lack of clarity about what it wants to do and what it wants from their players. This uncertainty didn’t need to be told to the media, it just creates even more messy tension. Brink back the days where nothing ever leaked.
Literally with any other player/team the past 9 years that kerr has coached he’s determined to play the best players regardless of position, but with kuminga and moody there’s just an endless list of excuses of why they can’t be on the floor no matter what they show in games. I’m so fucking tired of the bullshit, they are both CLEARLY in the top 6 (at worst) players on this team, fucking play them
i still don’t understand the hesitation of starting wiggs at the two to start JK at the 3. During the prime Dubs runs, Klay was a two way wing with limited ability off the dribble. Why can that not be Wiggs? Of course I understand he’s not the shooter klay was, but if Kerr believes in Wiggs ability to get back to the 2022 version of himself, where he played elite defence but also shot near 40% from three, then why not plug him into the Klay role? The warriors 2 guard in the Kerr era has never been asked to handle the ball extensively, that has always been Steph and Dray’s job in the first unit. Plus the lineup data shows, Wiggs-JK-Dray works, so why not just try it. Also JK clearly wants to score the pill more than Wiggs, who averaged a career low in points last year, and often disappears in terms of shot attempts on offence, so why not encourage the guy who won’t hesitate to take shots when you need him?
Plus we know Wiggs can play the two, as he did with Jimmy Butler in Minny
It’s time to trade everybody held back because of draymond. And it’s specifically time for kuminga to move to a team that has faith in him. Sounds like a leak so I’m sure kerr is all over this.
I’m sure that’ll go over well with the rookie extension looming lol. Even if the FO is comfortable letting him hit RFA, gotta think Kuminga would wouldn’t love proving his worth in a bench role.
Maybe it means they lean towards Dray at the 5, but the same article said they’d want to limit his minutes there.
> … Kerr wants to limit his minutes at center. Green agrees that he is naturally a power forward, but complicating the matter is the emergence of Kuminga and Kerr’s desire to play him more — and possibly have him as a high-volume scorer alongside Curry.
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> “The combination of athleticism and rim protection, defensively, has a chance to be really good,” Kerr said of that trio. “But it has to flow on the offensive side. We have to get spacing. We’ve got to make sure we can execute against what defenses will do against that group.”
Maybe Dray moves to the bench by 2026/27, I guess that could solve the “issue,” but I don’t know if it’s really worth looking two years down the road, especially when Dray is still well worth starting. Hopefully JK makes it work at SF, would be a plus to have some positional size there (feels a bit “undersized” at PF) and the shot has looked a lot nicer, but if not, the FO does seem open to trades. Guess we’ll see.
If JK’s 3 is for real all of a sudden you can play him next to Wiggins no problem.
There are some really, really dumb takes in this thread. To the point I feel some of you must not actually be fans of the team or follow this stuff too closely.
Kuminga has earned his playing time! Make him a full time starter
Coaches? More like one coach who’s making this a bigger issue than it should be
Kuminga is a career average 40-41% 3 point shooter, in preseason. He’s basically Steph Curry in preseason. He hasn’t been Steph Curry in the regular season.
JKs earned starting at the 3, ride it a bit and see how it looks. It helps that Wiggins hasn’t played, so nothing to compare it to yet. It will be very obvious if it’s not gonna work, then you can course correct.
I think it’d be foolish to gift Wiggins that spot as he may not play this preseason at all, and JK improved his shot by leaps and bounds, as he was asked to. I’d start JK also to avoid the risk of getting on his bad side early in a make or break year for him.
They may try it at some point, but Wiggins at the 2 is gonna be problematic. Melton is a good compliment to Curry as a combo guard who is a better defender, and can handle the ball. I don’t expect Dray to be facilitating as much as he ages, so they need a ball handler in addition to Steph (also so Steph can go off ball). I’m sure they’ll Podz at the 2 as well.
I feel like I’m taking crazy pills, because I just don’t see why so many fans insist that JK should be the starting 3.
His shooting and the effect it had on spacing was only a small part of the problem. The primary issues were always his low BBIQ, penchant for standing still in a motion offense, and the fact that his strengths require him to be in the low post or the dunkers spot.
He’s not a good ball handler, can’t really drive effectively in space (and isn’t good at kicking out), and doesn’t make great decisions on the perimeter when plays aren’t designed specifically for him.
He is immensely talented, and tons of fun to watch, but I just don’t think he’s that guy, no matter how many 20-point games he has in meaningless regular season games against low quality opponents that aren’t scheming for him.
Analysis paralysis. Start Kuminga. He’s earned that. If he fucks it up, then play someone else. Simple.
If JKs at the 3 and Meltons at the 2 where’s that put Wiggs? This team is stuffed to the gills with 2s and 3s and a lot of mediocrity. Hopefully some of these guys will bust through with big seasons to make a solid case as starters