A few minutes after the Warriors' victory on the Timberwolves floor last weekend, Steve Kerr took advantage of his post-match press conference to criticize the decision-making of some of his young players, who opted for shots at difficult mid-distance rather than passing the ball to an open Stephen Curry.
Before the match against the Pacers, the coach did it again, to explain why his rant was necessary and important, despite his team's victory.
“We won that game because we started running the ball and Steph (Curry) scored 11 points in a row. We've lost 9 of our last 12 games, and there comes a point where you have to realize who you're playing with. Our team is built around Steph Curry, the best shooter in history. He is at his best when he moves without the ball and that is why we ask for the ball to move,” he explains.
Complementarity with Draymond Green still poses a problem
After a very good start to the season, the Warriors have hit rock bottom, in particular because their attack is floundering. Opposing defenses stay on strict defense on Stephen Curry, forcing his teammates to create. The result is disastrous. This loss of offensive efficiency also influences their defense because they cannot install it.
If Steve Kerr hadn't directly named players after the Minnesota game, it wasn't hard to understand that he was aiming Brandin Podziemski And Jonathan Kuminga. The winger in particular took several forced shots against the Wolves.
“The message was for the whole team but during the match I shouted at two players in particular,” confirmed Steve Kerr before the match against Indiana. “There are possessions where taking a mid-range shot is a good call but JK's points per possession on his mid-range shot are low, and he needs to improve to understand when it's a good or bad one choice. »
In his fourth season with the Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga has progressed in many areas but continues at times to lack discipline and intensity. While he did not reach an agreement with Golden State this summer for a contract extension, the next month and a half until the transfer deadline, February 6, therefore poses as a referendum on his present and its future in San Francisco.
His four seasons under the leadership of Steve Kerr, however, were filled with ups and downs. It took a public outing and a threatened transfer request last season to see the manager insert him into the starting five and give him more playing time. This season, the Congolese again started the season on the bench, behind Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
The pill had difficulty passing for the winger but the injury absence of Draymond Green ended up forcing Steve Kerr's hand. Jonathan Kuminga seized the opportunity to break his points record against Houston. Steve Kerr, Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and Kevon Looney all announced that it was time to maximize their teammate's strengths… but it only lasted five games.
Use your strengths
With the defeats following one another, Steve Kerr once again decided to trust Draymond Green.
“I try to use our squad to seek victories, not to help one player or another” the coach defended. “We inserted JK into the starting five for 5-6 games to try to get back to winning ways. It didn't work. After the game against Dallas, I realized that if we want to emphasize defense, we have to have Draymond in the starting five. When you lose, you try several combinations. It's not easy for the players and once the team stabilizes, our rotation will be more constant. »
As transfer rumors heat up for the Warriors, there still appears to be a big difference between what Steve Kerr wants from Jonathan Kuminga and the player Jonathan Kuminga thinks he wants to be.
“He's excellent near the rim, he causes fouls, and we want him to attack the rim. We also want to see him floating behind the help, in the 'dunker spot' more often, and then as I said, for his mid-range shot, it all depends on possession. If it's in the middle of the possession, it's not a good shot. If it comes at the end of the possession, then yes, you have to take it. It’s a simple message, but it’s a message that isn’t always easy for players to receive,” said the coach.
“However, we talk about it every day with the whole team. This idea of chaining 'drive & kicks' to make the ball move. We spent the last three days training with this concept. Each player is different in their understanding and reading of the game, and we work with all the players, including JK, to help them,” adds Steve Kerr. “I talk to him all the time, I show him videos, and JK has great potential and he has progressed a lot since the start of his career but I'm not going to stop coaching him. That's my role, and in the last few games his shot selection and decision-making have been poor and he needs to improve on that. »
Steve Kerr's patience seems to be eroding little by little, and with the Warriors trying to maximize Stephen Curry's final years, now is the time for Jonathan Kuminga to prove he can be a vital part of this effective. This night, he applied his coach's instructions to the letter, scoring 26 points at 9/16 on shots while living in the circle. He also grabbed 8 rebounds in 30 minutes of play.
However, he will have to sustain this kind of performance over the coming weeks… because otherwise, his days in Golden State could be numbered.
Comments collected in San Francisco.
| Jonathan Kuminga | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | GOS | 70 | 17 | 51.3 | 33.6 | 68.4 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 9.3 |
| 2022-23 | GOS | 67 | 21 | 52.5 | 37.0 | 65.2 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 9.9 |
| 2023-24 | GOS | 74 | 26 | 52.9 | 32.1 | 74.6 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 16.1 |
| 2024-25 | GOS | 26 | 25 | 44.2 | 33.3 | 60.5 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 15.5 |
| Total | 237 | 22 | 51.1 | 34.0 | 69.1 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 12.3 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
