The Golden State Warriors have granted Jonathan Kuminga exactly what he's always wanted so far this season, with the young forward starting in all seven games and easily averaging a career-high 30.9 minutes per game.
Yet while Kuminga's role with the Warriors to start the season has been surprisingly significant, there's an argument that the 23-year-old should actually be playing more as the team looks to combat a rising problem with their bench scoring.
Warriors should consider giving Jonathan Kuminga even more playing time
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Golden State's bench currently ranks 25th in scoring and 23rd in net rating, something that's less than ideal given Steve Kerr likes to go deep into his rotation and is looking to manage his veteran players as much as possible across the course of the season.
As much as Kuminga has developed into a core piece alongside Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, he's a dozen years younger than the veteran trio and therefore shouldn't have to be managed in a similar way.
Butler is averaging 33.5 minutes per game, Kuminga 30.9, Curry 30.9 and Green 29.1. Those minutes are probably about right for older three, but the Warriors could certainly bump Kuminga up if they believe he warrants it.
Part of the issue with Golden State's bench stems from Kuminga no longer being part of it, and therefore there's a distinct lack of shot-creation and shot-making. The former seventh overall pick is arguably too important to move back to the bench right now and deserves his starting role, but that doesn't mean he couldn't be incorporated into more second units.
Kuminga has played all but 16 of his minutes with Stephen Curry on the floor this season -- easily the most of any Warrior duo. But how about letting him play a couple of extra minutes each half without the 2x MVP and in bench units that are currently struggling to find offense?
That would raise Kuminga's playing time to around 35 minutes per game, which by Golden State standards is high but not so much from a league perspective. There are currently 16 players in the NBA averaging at least 35 minutes per game, and not all of them legitimate stars.
You can completely understand why the Warriors are looking to limit the minutes of their veterans, but if Kuminga is now truly and categorically one of their best four players, he shouldn't fall into the same basket and should be in line for a bump in playing time if his form continues.