The Golden State Warriors are a team stuck in basketball purgatory. With aging veterans who are spending more time recovering from injuries than actually playing and no young players to hand the keys to the franchise to, the Warriors have gone from being the cream of the crop to scraping the bottom of the barrel.
And according to 2008 NBA champion and popular media personality Kendrick Perkins , the franchise has nobody else to blame but themselves, explaining that they actually had an exceptionally talented player who could help them out now and in the future— Jonathan Kuminga .
Unfortunately, they chose to place all their chips on a player who most Golden State fans aren't even keen on: Brandin Podziemski .
Picked seventh in the 2021 NBA Draft, it was clear JK was teeming with raw talent. Already blessed with unreal athleticism, the 6'7" forward only needed proper guidance and enough repetitions to begin realizing his true potential. And after winning a ring with the Warriors in 2022, Kuminga was ready to take off and help the Warriors maintain their stranglehold on the NBA.
But as everyone knows by now, that never happened. Sure, Kuminga showed flashes of his brilliance and capabilities. Unfortunately, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr never trusted him enough to give him free rein on the hardwood, much less a permanent spot on the Warriors' starting five.
After signing a two-year pact with Golden State and being elevated to the starting lineup, most believed JK would finally get the chance he had long waited for. However, that spot on the starting five lasted only 12 games.
A few months later, Kuminga was traded to the Atlanta Hawks , where he has thrived as a member of a playoff team that's giving the New York Knicks a lot of hell in the first round, scoring 19 in Game 2 and then, 21 in Game 3.
"Somebody from the Golden State Warriors needs to be fired," Perk declared .
Perkins speculated that while everyone, including the Warriors players themselves, saw the work that Kuminga was putting in to prove himself worthy of better opportunities on the Warriors, Kerr was in denial. With the Warriors trying to maximize the remaining years of Steph Curry 's brilliance, Kerr was hesitant to give reps to inexperienced players, opting to lean on his veterans.
"He didn't want to see it. He was in denial," Perkins asserted. "But Stephen Curry saw it. Draymond Green saw it. Jimmy Butler saw it."
"A guy that you drafted in the lottery. A guy that has shown you time and time again—every single year his points per game went up," he continued. "But you chose Brandin Podziemski over Jonathan Kuminga ."
Kerr going with Podz more often than with Kuminga was a point of frustration for many Warriors fans. The left-handed guard has savvy and talent, but his play is often skittish, which means he's just as likely to turn the ball over during a crucial moment as he is to deliver the goods.
Meanwhile, here is Kuminga, showcasing what he can do in the playoffs, helping the Hawks reach new heights.
"One of the most athletic, versatile players and his ceiling is through the roof. Now all of a sudden he's sitting, and he's shining on the biggest stage," Perk stated. "Somebody from Golden State needs to be fired."
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
