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Amid the most gut-wrenching week of the Warriors’ season, Joe Lacob found one fleeting moment of joy.
Jonathan Kuminga’s three-point play in the second half of a blowout loss to the Raptors on Tuesday night brought the Chase Center crowd to its feet, including a team owner who leaped out of his chair and pumped his fist.
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After Kuminga made his first appearance for Golden State in 16 games, Draymond Green praised the 23-year-old for seizing the rare opportunity with a 20-point effort.
“If you’ve been a nuisance, if you will, that game doesn’t happen for you,” Green said.
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2 days ago
A basketball player wearing a Golden State Warriors jersey lies on the court, appearing injured or exhausted, with his arm raised slightly.
6 days ago
A man wearing a white San Francisco 49ers shirt and black cap raises his hand, with a patterned red border featuring football images on the left.
Tuesday, Jan. 13
A man wearing a sleeveless Warriors shirt holds a basketball, with a side panel showing red-tinted images of a hand spinning a basketball.
Kuminga surged again Thursday in a nine-minute stint against the Mavericks. He scored 10 points, made all four free-throw attempts, dished out two assists, and even added two steals in a 123-115 loss.
But as has been the case following every twist and turn on the Kuminga roller coaster, a temporary thrill was brought to a screeching halt when he exited the game with knee soreness.
In the wake of Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL injury, the Warriors are searching for reasons to be optimistic. Kuminga’s play, while encouraging in a vacuum, isn’t one.
Golden State has come to grips with the reality that when Kuminga plays, no one wins. It’s why he was banished to the bench in mid-December, it’s why he demanded a trade last week, and why the best-case scenario for all parties is for general manager Mike Dunleavy to send the former lottery pick elsewhere ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Every glimmer of hope is a reminder that if the Warriors choose to keep Kuminga, they’ll be choosing a player who doesn’t fit alongside their superstar and doesn’t mesh with their coach’s vision.
And even if the dynasty is in its last days, Golden State shouldn’t prioritize a role player over a franchise legend and a future Hall of Fame coach. Fans can disagree with Steve Kerr. They can plead for Steph Curry to figure out a way to win alongside Kuminga. They can point out that Kerr is in the last year of his contract, and Curry won’t play forever.
It’s all futile.
When Kuminga plays, it’s not just that no one really wins, it’s that everyone loses. His bursts of greatness are a reminder of what could have been, what isn’t, and what won’t be.
At least not in Golden State.