For a moment, Jonathan Kuminga had finally settled nicely into his role as an integral part of the Golden State Warriors ' starting five. Not long after inking a two-year contract, Dubs head coach Steve Kerr named him as a starter and the 23-year-old responded well, averaging 16.2 points on 53.7 percent shooting, including 43.8 percent from beyond the arc, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists as the Warriors zoomed off to a 4-1 start.
However, just when everyone thought Kuminga had finally figured things out in Golden State, his performance spiraled down. Old habits such as indecisiveness and carelessness with the rock resurfaced, leading to disjointed performances over the next eight games, during which he averaged only 12.3 points on 43.9 percent shooting.
More than the poor shooting, though, was his turnover numbers. In that eight-game stretch, JK coughed the ball up 2.9 times a game, including five each in horrendous losses to the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks and a Sacramento Kings squad that didn't even have All-Stars Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis .
With the Warriors bleeding, Kerr's hand was forced and Kuminga was demoted to the bench in favor of rookie wingman Will Richard — a bitter pill to swallow for a promising player who is yearning to spread his wings and showcase his immense potential. Fortunately for JK, he has someone in his corner who refuses to let him go back down the rabbit hole once again: Jimmy Butler .
Kerr has been at the Warriors' helm since 2014, and he knows the best way to butter his bread: lean on his veteran trio of Butler, Steph Curry and Draymond Green .
"We've got to put Steph, Jimmy and Draymond in a position to succeed," Kerr told ESPN. "That's what wins in this league. Everyone has their best two or three players. How well can you support them and enhance them?"
Kerr has taken a lot of flak for some coaching decisions he's made over the last few years — from not using prolific All-Star Jayson Tatum enough on Team USA to keeping Kuminga on a short leash. However, nobody can argue with the results. The Americans won the gold in the Paris Olympics, and had Curry not suffered a hamstring injury in the second round of the playoffs, the Warriors may have been the ones hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy.
So, by relegating Kuminga to the bench, Kerr pressed pause on the development of a future star, leaving him to feel like he's been made a scapegoat once again. However, Butler pushed back against that notion.
"Him not being in the lineup ain't the reason that we're winning," Butler emphasized after the Dubs went 2-2 with Kuminga sidelined due to a sore knee. "We're just playing better basketball. Roles are clearer. We're making shots. We're guarding. That ain't got nothing to do with him. If he was in the lineup, I still believe that we win these games."
Butler has become Kuminga's de facto mentor on the Warriors. The two spend a lot of time together, and even when they're apart, the communication channels remain open. Aware that JK respects him and listens to what he has to say, Butler hopes to keep the young man's confidence from dipping.
"So he's got a lot of feelings, which is OK. I think I just got to stay on him, though. Let him know that I am in your corner. We all are in your corner," Jimmy said. "Just breathe. Breathe. We're not out to get you. I don't think anybody's out to get you. Fans or media, maybe. But the people in it, we are not out to get you, bro. I promise you. I promise."
Now set to go back home to the familiar confines of the Chase Center, the Warriors hope to get Kuminga back at some point during the five-game home stand. As uncertain as his place in the rotation is, there's no doubt that Kuminga's performance will help dictate the team's future plans.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
