The Golden State Warriors have the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after the lottery, but they are doomed to repeat the Jonathan Kuminga disaster unless head coach Steve Kerr maximizes the selection’s potential. Kuminga was the seventh overall pick in 2021, but Kerr never fully trusted him. The head coach wasn’t putting him in positions to succeed and never helped him realize his potential. It is why Golden State keeps regretting letting him go.
Kerr will be back next season. He has won four championships and is the league’s highest-paid coach. Nobody is questioning his greatness, but he must adapt to better the Warriors' future. Golden State needs this pick to turn into a star to have any chance at staying in contention after Stephen Curry retires. That won’t happen if the young talent is always glued to the bench or looking over his shoulder after every mistake.
Kuminga instantly proved he was capable of more after arriving in Atlanta. Kerr wanted him to play a specific role in Golden State, but it wasn’t the ideal one to maximize Kuminga’s skill set. That can’t happen again, or the Warriors will end up selling low on another young talent. The fate is even more disastrous if Curry is already gone.
Steve Kerr must change to avoid a repeat of the Jonathan Kuminga disaster
The Warriors want to win in Curry’s final years. They should be pushing for the playoffs and chasing deep runs. Golden State’s path to getting there is adding more impactful talent to the roster. Getting that on a rookie-scale contract is ideal. The young player needs his coach to believe in and trust him to make an impact. That hasn’t always happened under coach Kerr.
The Dubs have developed talent in the Kerr era. Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody are key parts of the rotation. They hope this pick has a higher ceiling and helps carry the franchise after Curry’s retirement. To reach those heights, the player needs repetitions and must be allowed to make mistakes. He can’t be at odds with coach Kerr like Kuminga often was.
The Warriors have the perfect setup to maximize a young talent. There are three aging stars on the roster to learn from and a future Hall of Fame head coach. The focus has to be on development for the prospect. He doesn’t need to play 30 minutes on opening night. The Dubs just have to find ways to maximize his talent. Learning from Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler is a good start.
Steve Kerr has to treat this draft pick like he’s the future Curry or Green. Not like he is a young player that has to fit into the Warriors’ system. A great coach adapts his system to his talent. Kerr did that with Curry and Green. He made tweaks when Butler was added. Kerr has to adjust again to this new lottery pick.
The Golden State Warriors need Steve Kerr to trust the 11th overall pick and maximize his development. This is a loaded class, so Golden State will get a talented player. If they don't maximize his growth, it will be a repeat of the Jonathan Kuminga disaster. That can’t happen with Stephen Curry nearing the end of his legendary career. The Dubs must get this one right, and that will only happen if Kerr adapts. Stay tuned to see if the future Hall of Famer does it.
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