Jonathan Kuminga has missed out on 31 straight games for the Warriors, and is now finally ready to return to play this Thursday against Sacramento. The forward has been scrimmaging this past couple of weeks as this would be the first time he competes since injuring his right ankle on January 4.
Before he fell to injury, the young star was playing the best basketball of his career, posting averages of 20.5 points over his past 14 matches. During four of the last six games before the injury, he had scored 20 or more points, two of those reaching as much as 34.
Despite the player being healthy and ready for action, Steve Kerr explained that the player’s return will be gradual, and will come off the bench against the Kings. The Golden State coach explained how complicated it is to include new players when the team is playing so well, having won 12 of 14 games since Jimmy Butler arrived.
“It’s a really difficult thing when you are playing really well and have a key guy coming back,” he said about being cautious. “It’s always tough. I think the idea is just bring him along slowly, play him in short bursts, help him get his rhythm back. But we got to keep playing Gui Santos, keep playing the guys who are helping us win now. Usually this stuff has to kind of play out so we will hope that it plays out.”
The 22-year-old is set to become a restricted free agent this offseason, but his teammate Draymond Green doesn’t believe he should be too worried about it, considering he had been playing well. “You can’t and you’re not going to get it all back in one day. He does have the contract situation coming up.
“Naturally, you want to press a little bit because you don’t get this far being someone who doesn’t want to make those things happen,” Green said recently. “I’ve been in contract situations before. That is tough as hell to understand. You want to come back and make it all happen. You will drive yourself crazy.”
The fourt-time champ wants Kuminga to think about the squad, not his individual stats. “I think he has to got to give himself some grace as he works his way back,” he said. “Just build back gradually and play well. We are preparing to go on a nice run. He will have plenty of time to prove exactly who we already know he is.”
