In today’s Dub Hub:
- In a recent article for The San Francisco Standard, Jonathan Kuminga discusses his relationship with Steve Kerr.
- Warriors expect De’Anthony Melton to be “integrated” back into practice over the next couple of weeks.
- Mavericks’ Anthony Davis exits game vs. Pacers with left lower leg soreness.
Before the Golden State Warriors’ 98-79 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night, head coach Steve Kerr confirmed that Jonathan Kuminga will stay in the starting lineup moving forward. It’s a statement
Kerr has made before, but this time feels different — thanks to Kuminga’s all-around growth this season.
He’s playing within the system, defending, rebounding, and moving the ball while picking his spots to score. That maturity has solidified his role and helped ease what was once a tense relationship between him and Kerr.
Via The San Francisco Standard:
“I remember some of the things I’ve told him before, like, ‘I’d love you to coach me as hard as you can. Just coach me. Just don’t go away from me, just coach me. No matter the circumstance. I do something bad that I don’t need to do, don’t go away from me. Come tell me that. If you don’t tell me in the middle of the game, send somebody. I want that word coming from you.’
“I’m not going out there trying to do much. There is nights where they’re going to want me to do more and do what I can do. But there’s nights like today, just go out there and do what you’ve gotta do, no matter what’s going on, and stay positive and move on.”
In past seasons, Kuminga’s minutes fluctuated and his frustration grew, even leading to trade rumors this past offseason as the two sides negotiated a new contract. But after a summer of reflection and direct conversations, he says the tension is gone.
“I said when I first started talking to you, I told you that I just wanted him to push me more, harder,” Kuminga said. “There is nothing about ‘believing,’ anything about roles, none of that.
“You said, ‘Did we have to clear anything?’ There was nothing to clear. There is no problem between me and Steve. That’s my coach, and I’m his player. I come in every day to win. He’s going to push me hard, and that’s how we’re going to keep going to help the team win.”
This version of Kuminga is exactly what the Warriors have been hoping for. If he continues to embrace this approach, he won’t just stay in the starting lineup; he could become one of the driving forces behind Golden State’s push back into championship contention.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Thursday, October 30th:
Warriors News:
Kawakami: The Kuminga-Kerr relationship is honest, open, and succeeding | The San Francisco Standard
“I’m not sitting here thinking that I’m going to keep those minutes,” Kuminga said. “I’ve gotta go out there and earn those minutes.
“That’s another thing I told Steve: If it’s not my night, tell me. I won’t get mad. I’ll be a good teammate, as I’ve always been. I’ll support. I’ll do stuff that will help us win.”
Jimmy Butler excited to see Warriors’ youngsters thrive from his mentorship | NBC Sports Bay Area
“Whatever you’re doing out there, it just needs to add up to winning,” Butler explained. “Whether you’re scoring 50 or getting 30 assists — none of it matters if you’re not winning.”
One player taking those lessons to heart is 23-year-old Jonathan Kuminga, whose growth hasn’t gone unnoticed by Butler.
“You don’t ever want to come back the exact same player,” Butler noted. “You work on your stuff in the offseason, but when you’re on the floor, are you winning your minutes? I think as of late, [Kuminga’s] been doing it.”
De’Anthony Melton expected to begin practicing with the team over the next two weeks
NBA News:
Mavericks’ Anthony Davis exits win vs. Pacers with sore leg | ESPN
Davis came up gingerly after scoring and signaled to the bench that he needed to exit the game. He crouched down on the sideline for several seconds when the Mavs called a timeout with 4:12 remaining in the first quarter and then headed to the locker room for further evaluation.
“He tried to return — didn’t want to take any chances,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “We’ll see how he feels moving forward.”
Davis had been listed as probable on the pregame injury report because of bilateral Achilles tendinopathy.
NBA standings update after the first week of games
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
Dear Kuminga: You’re an official Warriors’ starter again
Here’s the thing though, JK: new levels, new devils. Earning the starting spot was the test. Now comes the takeover. Because securing your role is nice, but we didn’t come here for nice. We came here to watch you dominate. To watch you become the reason opposing coaches lose sleep scheming for Chase Center. To watch you turn from “promising young talent” into “problem we can’t solve.”
Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
