What Jonathan Kuminga could bring to Warriors in Game 7
SAN FRANCISCO With the season on the line Warriors coach Steve Kerr is open to exploring all possibilities for Challenge in Houston on Sunday night So does that mean Jonathan Kuminga is an option against the stingy Rockets defense in the final challenge of the series Perhaps One-hundred percent he s on the table Kerr mentioned adding Up - things are going well Then obviously last two games have gone very poorly We have to assess everything Lineup combinations starters all of that we have to assess Kuminga a -foot- power forward has been a healthy scratch for four of the six games in the series and out of the rotation since the last challenge of the regular season In this series against the Rockets Kerr has shown he is not averse to switching things up He moved Buddy Hield into the starting lineup in Encounter in place of Moses Moody and replaced Brandin Podziemski with Gary Payton II in Contest Kuminga could provide help on the boards rebounds per challenge and a much-needed credible driving threat next to Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry The wing had a free throw rate the second-highest frequency on the organization next to Butler In a series where Golden State has struggled to generate non-Butler free-throw attempts a paltry in six games Kuminga s ability to get to the line and generate easy points could be an antidote for the Rockets zone He proved during the regular season he is capable of putting up big numbers Golden State Warriors Jonathan Kuminga dribbles against Denver Nuggets Jalen Pickett in the first quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco Calif on Monday March Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group Kuminga averaged points per match in appearances during the season but missed -plus games with a severe ankle injury Once he returned Jimmy Butler had entrenched himself on the unit The two did not play well together with Kuminga s isolation-heavy offense bogging down the offense by operating in the same spaces Butler requested to attack from With Butler routinely logging high minutes as the season wound to a close and the page turned to the postseason Kuminga was sent to the bench When Butler was injured in Encounter and had to miss Event with a bruised pelvis Kuminga was urged to fill in and had uneven results He shot of for points in the Challenge loss and started but only played minutes in Battle finishing with seven points Once Butler came back Kuminga returned to the bench where he has remained Related Articles How to watch Warriors-Rockets Contest Kurtenbach Those once-reasonable Warriors title hopes They re lost baggage now Warriors want no part of this history again A look at the NBA teams to blow a - series lead Watch Steph Curry try to comfort son Canon after Encounter loss What do Warriors expect from Steph Curry in Meeting Something special Would he be ready for Championship Yeah he cut out for it Draymond Green noted He s cut out for whatever we throw at him He built right the right way for that Should Kuminga play in Event it could be the last time he wears a Warriors uniform The -year-old will be a restricted free agent this offseason After playing In Event Kuminga announced he has perpetually stayed ready for his opportunity He might have a chance to prove it on Sunday with the season on the line