Jonathan Kuminga continues to be a controversial topic among the Warriors world as his role with the team fluctuates even in Year 4.
He suddenly landed in coach Steve Kerr's doghouse toward the end of the regular season and into the postseason, and a new report might indicate what led to those decisions.
"Despite his talent, Kuminga’s propensity to look for his shot at the expense of the flow of Golden State’s offense has irked the coaching staff," The Ringer's Logan Murdock wrote in a column published Wednesday. "During a late-season game against the [Portland Trail] Blazers, team sources say Kerr was incensed after several instances in which Kuminga looked off [Steph] Curry to create his own offense."
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SIGN UP HERE In that Portland game during the second-to-last regular-season contest, Kuminga finished with 10 points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field and missed his two 3-point attempts, adding five rebounds, one steal and one block in 17 minutes off the bench in the 103-86 win.
But he recorded a DNP-CD (Did Not Play, Coach's Decision) in the regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Clippers that raised several eyebrows across the league.
"By the start of the playoffs, many within the organization wondered whether Kuminga, who is eligible for an extension, had played his last game as a Warrior," Murdock wrote.
Kuminga also was a DNP-CD in Golden State's play-in game against the Memphis Grizzlies and, outside of one game, barely played in the Warriors' seven-game series against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
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Kerr simply pointed to a lack of fit as the reason for Kuminga's benching, particularly since the team's acquisition of six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler in early February.
But since Curry sustained a hamstring injury in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kerr had no choice but to turn to Kuminga for an offensive boost without his star player.
Kuminga has been stellar since rejoining the rotation, averaging 23.7 points on 60-percent shooting from the field and 44.4 percent from 3-point range over the last three games.
The 22-year-old forward likely will continue to be a trending topic throughout the NBA world as the Warriors figure out whether their future will consist of their former No. 7 overall pick. But for now, he's just trying to make the most of the opportunity in front of him as the Warriors hope to keep their season alive.