Debate the storyline.
The Golden State Warriors handled business in Game 1 on Sunday, besting the Houston Rockets 95-85 to take an early lead in the best-of-seven series in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. It was a balanced performance by the Warriors, but one player was notably absent: fourth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga.
When healthy, Kuminga played a big role for the Warriors for most of the year. But when the playoff-level games arrived — first the win-and-you’re-in season finale against the LA Clippers, then the play-in tournament contest against the Memphis Grizzlies, and finally Sunday’s series opener — Kuminga was nowhere to be found.
Rotations always tighten up this time of year, but it’s still been a little jarring to see a player of Kuminga’s caliber and athleticism on the outside looking in. Still, there are reasons Steve Kerr has gone that route: Kuminga’s lack of shooting has been a tough fit alongside star acquisition Jimmy Butler III, and he often struggles to paint within the lines of the team’s system.
But Sunday wasn’t a great offensive showing for the Warriors, and they looked painfully unathletic against Houston’s lineup. Butler played 42 minutes, which isn’t sustainable for a deep playoff run. And Draymond Green even said on his podcast that he’d like to see Kuminga get some run. It could be that Kerr and the staff will make some adjustments and decide that it’s time to insert Kuminga back into the rotation. Or JK may have to wait until the team is struggling and resorts to Plan B.
What do you think, Dub Nation? Will Kuminga play in Game 2 tonight?