It might be the biggest moment for the Golden State Warriors since their 2022 championship.
Friday's 107-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves was almost a subplot to what happened before and after the game, with Draymond Green seemingly passing the torch to young forward Jonathan Kuminga.
Steve Kerr announced pre-game that Kuminga would retain his starting role, having led the Warriors to victory with a career-high 33 points against the Houston Rockets on Friday. It did raise some eyebrows given that while Green was coming off an injury, it was only a two-game absence with a minor calf concern.
The Warriors have reached an incredibly important moment in their present and future
Following the 17-point loss, Kerr confirmed he would start the same way for the foreseeable future, with Green giving his blessing and accepting that he's giving back after David Lee did a similar thing for him over 10 years ago.
Franchise superstar Stephen Curry also appears to be on board, having got a front-row view of Kuminga's ability when the 22-year-old had 14 of his 33 points in the fourth-quarter of Thursday's win.
Steph Curry on Jonathan Kuminga: “The experimental phase of trying to unlock new looks, new go-to sets, put the ball in his hands, it’s time for that for sure.” pic.twitter.com/ufOLQsp92f
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 7, 2024
Now the question remains on whether Kuminga can take the torch and run with it. This is the ultimate opportunity he's never been afforded. Sure the former seventh overall pick started for a period during and after Green's lengthy suspension last season, but this is a completely different set of circumstances.
With the ultimate opportunity comes the ultimate consequences -- this will go one of two different ways with little wiggle room in between. If Kuminga takes the opportunity and becomes a consistent scorer that provides much needed offensive upside, then Green may simply be the Warriors' sixth-man for the remainder of his career.
But if Kuminga can't seize the chance and Kerr is forced to rush Green back into the starting lineup within the next few games, then Kuminga's future at the franchise will be on borrowed time and might be over completely by the February 6 trade deadline.
The Warriors will get a resolution either way, and that's a good thing after such a long period where Kuminga's uncertain role has made him one of the biggest 'what ifs' in the NBA. This is a huge point for the franchise, one that could literally have a decade-long effect if things work out.
Kuminga failed to back up his career-best performance against the Timberwolves, finishing with just 13 points on 6-of-15 shooting. In fairness he wasn't alone as few Warrior players reached expectations in the team's sixth loss across the last seven games.