For the 15th match in a row, Jonathan Kuminga exceeded the 10-point mark last night. In the Warriors' victory against the Pistons, the young winger brought his usual punch, and 24 hours after being snubbed by Steve Kerr in the 4th quarter against the Nuggets, he responded in the best possible way.
“It’s 2024. It’s a new beginning” he first explains about his new look. Then he moves on to the controversy that has been brewing for several days over its use, with this prolonged stint on the bench against the Nuggets. He and Steve Kerr talked about it, and everything was clarified.
“I never complained about playing time or things like that”assures Jonathan Kuminga. “We were just talking about how if I did something well, I should remind him and say, 'Coach, what do I need to improve on?' It’s more a question of communication and better understanding on the part of each of us.”
Steve Kerr confirms that he took his player aside. “He is young and he wants to play. I just told him that everyone wants to play and we have a lot of guys who can play. So every night will be a little different.”
A simple question of communication?
Jonathan Kuminga assures that this discussion did him good. “It went very well. It was simply about understanding each other better and communicating better. Just having this conversation today put me at ease and put him at ease. Whenever I have something to ask or I have questions to ask, I just have to go to his office, the door is open. I can go there and relax while I wait for him to come in. That’s what it’s all about, communicating every time something is wrong. Communication is key. »
For the Warriors winger, the most important thing is not to disturb the group with statements and moody gestures. “This is neither helpful to me or the team. I'm always motivated, and it's not because I didn't play the fourth quarter of the last game that I'm going to be more motivated the next day. The motivation is still there. I like this place. This is where I was drafted. There are ups and downs. When you focus on the ups and downs, I feel like that's where people start to get confused. I know Steve believes in me. I know he trusts me. It was just a matter of communication and understanding better. »
