The Golden State head coach liked what he saw from Kuminga despite a two-point performance in the team's loss against the Suns.
After not playing for the previous three games as he was subjected to DNP-CD (Did Not Play – Coach's Decision), Jonathan Kuminga earned a nod to play this Thursday for the Golden State Warriors.
Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga
MIN: 24.75
PTS: 11.78 (50.21%)
REB: 6.17
As: 2.56
ST: 0.28
BL: 0.33
TO: 2.44
GM: 18
But in his return to the hardwood since Dec. 7, the forward was rusty as he struggled with just two points in 1-of-5 shooting across 10 minutes off the bench in the team's 99-98 close defeat against the Phoenix.
Despite the poor performance from Kuminga, head coach Steve Kerr still believes that the 23-year-old played well in his return to the team's rotation.
"He was good," Kerr told reporters after the game. "We wanted him to get out there and use his speed and athleticism, set screens, and dive. He had a good pass to [Gee Santos] in the first half from the pocket.
"It’s good to see him back out there."
Kerr further noted that he liked how Kuminga remained professional in the wake of his inactivity for the Dubs.
Since he didn't earn any playing time, Kuminga was instantly subjected to speculations across the league, with many expecting that a split-up will happen beyond Jan. 15 once the Congolese star becomes trade eligible upon inking a two-year, $48.5 million contract last September.
But right now, despite the off-night play and the Warriors loss, Kerr acknowledged how Kuminga went active for Golden State against Phoenix.
"He’s handled himself really well this last week, and I wanted to reward that."
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