Jonathan Kuminga #00 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball against the Toronto Raptors during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on March 20, 2025 in San Francisco.
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is planning to keep Jonathan Kuminga on the bench and out of the rotation to start the first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, according to multiple reports.
San Francisco Standard columnist Tim Kawakami reported on Kuminga’s diminished role in the half-hour before tip-off of Game 1, saying it “doesn’t sound like there’s anything much different planned” in multiple social media posts. Kawakami did add a caveat that things could change depending on how Sunday’s game or the series writ large plays out, but he’s on the outside looking in to start the series.
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I don’t expect much to change for Jonathan Kuminga’s playing time tonight from the last 2 DNPs.
Things obviously could be altered if the Warriors fall behind — tonight or in the rest of the series — but as of now, he’s far back on the wing depth chart.
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) April 21, 2025
The Athletic’s Anthony Slater also reported Kuminga is expected to start the series out of the rotation, adding a similar caveat about Kuminga being an “in-game or in-series adjustment.”
Kuminga hasn’t played at all in the last two Dubs games, a regular-season-ending loss to the Clippers and the play-in game win over the Grizzlies. With Golden State trying to guarantee a lengthy rest between games, Kerr put the fourth-year wing on the bench for the whole game.
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Kuminga responded by missing pregame introductions and the opening tipoff before joining the Warriors on the bench after a minute or two of each game. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst questioned whether Kuminga even had his jersey on. He also has been leaving the locker room without talking to any reporters or doing any media interviews.
But what the Warriors do with the former No. 7 overall pick has been fodder for conversation all week leading up to the start of the Rockets series. Many have questioned Kerr for benching him and believe the Warriors need to play Kuminga in order to beat Houston.
In an interview with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said Kuminga is “going to have an opportunity” in the playoffs and believes he’s a fit in a matchup against the Rockets.
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“They present some stuff athletically and physically that he can match,” Dunleavy said. “He’s got that type of size and athleticism on the defensive end to defend and rebound. And then on the offensive end, he’s able to finish, score and get to the basket. Those are things he can counteract with what they’re doing.
“So I think he’ll definitely have a role in this series and provide a boost for us.”
April 20, 2025
