SAN FRANCISCO – There was a lot of buzz surrounding Jonathan Kuminga’s performance in the Warriors' loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday at Chase Center.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Golden State teammates Stephen Curry and Trayce Jackson-Davis were quick to laud Kuminga after the 6-foot-7 forward came off the bench and dominated the Pacers to the tune of 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
JK with authority 🚨 pic.twitter.com/f5pAfdFm2d
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 24, 2024
It was, in many ways, the prototypical Kuminga game. A little bit of everything mixed in with a spice of aggression and nastiness that often left the Pacers swiping at air.
“He was probably the best player out there in the sense of attacking [and] being decisive,” Curry said. “He was getting downhill, putting pressure on the rim, doing the things that only he can do.
“We love energetic, confident JK. He can change the game for us like he did.”
It was a different tune two days earlier when Kerr criticized Kuminga for taking hurried shots and not looking for Curry enough. Kerr addressed the issue again before Monday’s game, then watched as Kuminga played arguably his best game of the 2024-25 NBA season.
Golden State Warriors
“This is the JK we want,” Kerr said. “Spent a lot of time in the paint, took care of the ball, had a couple really nice passes. This is a great example of how JK needs to play. Really proud of him for coming out and playing that way. He’s getting better and it’s fun to watch his development.”
What has made Kuminga’s development impressive this season is that he hasn’t had a clearly defined role with the Warriors. He started the first three games of the season, then went to the bench for three weeks. In December, Kuminga has started six games and come off the bench in three others.
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Kuminga said he has become accustomed to the changes and tries to remain the same type of player whether he’s starting or not, although he admits it hasn’t been all easy.
“I’m used to things like that at this point in my career,” Kuminga said. “Can’t put my head down and not go out there and play hard. I just go out there and do my job. I can’t worry about things like that.
“I know a lot of people that are playing out there, if they were in my shoes they would quit basketball. They would need a therapist. They’d go through a lot of mental situations but that doesn’t affect me.”
As for his up-and-down season, Kuminga tried to put it in perspective.
“When things don’t go in, it’s a bad shot, it’s a bad day,” he said. “That’s how I’ve been playing. Things go in, I look good. Things don’t go in, I look bad. There’s no in between.”
Nevertheless, there’s no denying that the Warriors' offense reaches another level when Kuminga plays like he did consistently against the Pacers.
The domino effect is that defenses have to divert more attention trying to stop Kuminga, which in turn opens up the rest of the floor for open shots for his teammates.
“We love when JK plays like this, downhill getting to the rim,” Jackson-Davis said. “He causes so much pressure on the rim when he’s playing like that, making those easy passes for kicks. It elevates our team and gives us a lot of energy. We just need him to continue doing that and just playing with the high level of aggression.”
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