With a huge opportunity to step up as somewhat of a savior for the Golden State Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga continues to prove he's not ready for the big moment.
When Jonathan Kuminga fell out of grace with Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, there was at least a small chance that his days of playing a big role for the team were over. However, when Jimmy Butler went down with an injury in Game 2 of their first-round NBA Playoff series against the Houston Rockets, the math shifted for Kerr. Needing to find help to make up for the loss of Jimmy, it seemed like Kuminga was naturally going to get another shot to prove himself, this time on the biggest stage.
With the opportunity to prove himself once again, though, Kuminga has continued to leave much to be desired. In Game 2, after Jimmy's injury, he shot just 33 percent from the field. He finished with 11 points, but it was an all-around efficient effort on the offensive end of the floor.
In Game 3, Kuminga was slightly more efficient on the offensive end of the floor, but still continued to struggle in acclimating to the playoff level. All in all, if Jimmy is able to return for Game 4, it would be surprising to see Kerr go back to Kuminga on any consistent level.
Jonathan Kuminga may need a change of scenery or a fresh start
At this point, it's becoming more and more clear that while Kuminga is still a talented player that he may not be the best fit on the Warriors. It's still too early to label Kuminga as a complete draft bust, but the writing for him may already be on the wall when it comes to his future with the Warriors.
Kuminga has fallen out of the consistent rotation for the Warriors at the worst possible time. He's set to hit the restricted free agency market this summer and is currently playing some of the most inconsistent basketball of his career.
Maybe there's a breakout game or two in the playoffs that will change Kuminga's outlook heading into the offseason, but I do find that unlikely, especially with the way his role with the team has dwindled over the last few weeks. Kuminga is a good player, but it's looking less and less likely that he's going to reach his ceiling with the Warriors.