Jonathan Kuminga had 26 points in the Golden State Warriors’ loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday as he adjusts to another change of his role. Kuminga recently shifted back to a bench role after he moved into the starting lineup at power forward as Steve Kerr wanted to emphasize defense to start the game again. Kuminga will be a restricted free agent this coming offseason and has expressed frustration with his role under Kerr in the past, but he appears to be adjusting to the realities of his situation.
“Sometimes I start, sometimes I don’t start,” Kuminga said. “Don’t really affect me. [At] this point in my career, I can’t put my head down and not go out there and play hard or try to be effective. I just go out there and do my job because I can’t even worry about things like that. The more you worry about things like that, the more you fail.”
“I’m used to it,” Kuminga added of starting and not starting. “From where I come from, you always got to be mentally tough. A lot of people that are playing … if they were in my shoes, they’ll quit basketball. They’ll need a therapist. They’ll go through a lot of mental situations. But that thing don’t affect me. As long as I go out here every day and just play, be with my teammates, [they] keep encouraging me to be who I am every day.”
“This is the JK we want,” Kerr said after Golden State lost for the 10th time in 13 games. “Spent a lot of time in the paint, took care of the ball. Had a couple really nice passes. Found Buddy [Hield] for 3 on a beautiful play and really attacked. So this is a great example of how JK needs to play. I’m really proud of him for coming out, playing that way. … He’s getting better, and it’s fun to watch his development.”
Kuminga has also been the subject of trade rumors as the Warriors explore the trade market.