Where is Jonathan Kuminga? Warriors Star’s Absence Despite Steve Kerr’s Positive Update Sparks Concern

It was on Saturday that the Warriors suffered a shocking blowout loss to the Spurs. A major reason was that they were playing without Jonathan Kuminga, who was out with an illness. However, Steve Kerr assured after the tough loss that it was nothing serious, “I think he’s fine.” And the head coach even revealed that JK would warm up before his final status is determined for tonight’s Nets clash. But it looks like Kuminga has not recovered completely despite the positive update as he has been ruled out yet again.

Yes, the star forward will miss his second straight game with an illness. Initially questionable for the game, he has now been downgraded to out.

That’s a massive blow for his team, who are already dealing with injury woes as De’Anthony Melton recently got ruled out for the season due to an ACL surgery. Kuminga’s illness only adds to the concerns. Yes, Kerr has demoted him from the starting lineup to an off the bench player. But JK has embraced that role and excelled in it. Despite his reduced minutes, the forward is averaging 13.3 points and has been a major contributor in the team’s success.

Even Kerr acknowledged his impact off the bench, “We need JK’s force and power, and frankly, we need it more off the bench than we do in the starting lineup. So, I love what I’m seeing.” Sure enough, the Warriors’ depth will get affected with Kuminga’s absence, which was also evident in the Spurs encounter. Their bench players combined for only 36 points on Saturday. And that could be a problem once again tonight.

Steve Kerr believes bench role suits Jonathan Kuminga well amid the forward’s optimistic approach

Whenever Kuminga makes his return from the illness, he is likely to continue coming off the bench. Obviously, Kerr would not want to change the winning formula as his team sits on top of the West standings. But the head coach had high praise for the forward for taking the change well, “He’s handling it great. He obviously wants to start. Everybody wants to start. But that hasn’t impacted his effort and his energy at all. In fact, I think he’s looked even better since we’ve brought him off the bench. I think it suits him well with this team. And so, until things change, we’ll keep going with this, but I love what we’re seeing from JK.”

Meanwhile, Kuminga has also kept a positive approach throughout the whole ordeal, “It don’t matter. We all still playing out there. It don’t really matter. It’s just going out there and being a professional and playing as hard as you can.” Well, Kuminga’s willingness to adjust to any role he is put in will work in his favor once his contract negotiations begin. Although he was eligible for an extension this summer, the Warriors could not reach an agreement as there was discrepancy in his expectations and what was being offered. And next offseason will determine Kuminga’s future in the Bay Area. But first, the Warriors would be hoping for his speedy recovery so that he returns to the lineup and leads the second unit.