Just as the Golden State Warriors were with an almost clean injury report, their divisive forward -- Jonathan Kuminga -- went down once again in the first-half on Sunday.
Kuminga had a hard fall in the Warriors’ win over the Spurs and was unable to return to the game after just seven minutes of play. Although it looked like Kuminga fell on his hip on the play, he was listed by the Warriors as having right ankle soreness, keeping him out for the rest of the game. Now, Golden State has adjusted that to a pelvic contusion, listing Kuminga as questionable for Tuesday's huge matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Jonathan Kuminga's health and form remains a concern for the Warriors
The fact that Kuminga’s hard fall in the Spurs game kept him out for the rest of the game isn’t great news. Once he was listed as out for the rest of the game with ankle soreness, there were even more concern among fans given Kuminga has just recently returned from a 31-game absence due to a severe ankle sprain.
Kuminga exited the game tonight after this fall 😔
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) March 31, 2025
(via @NBCSWarriors) pic.twitter.com/5C0rJgRxNI
Warriors fans know all too well about lingering ankle injuries that can be re-injured at any moment. Stephen Curry’s early career was defined by these types of injuries, and Warriors fans do not want to go through that again. It's fortunate that Kuminga's injury has now been viewed as a pelvic contusion, but that won’t mean the Warriors are out of the woods.
Kuminga was just starting to find his way after returning from injury. He had scored 15 or more for four-straight games and had scored in double digits for every game in his return.
Unfortunately, he was still far from fitting perfectly. Since his return, the 22-year-old has often looked a little lost on both ends of the floor. Warriors fans have started to voice their frustrations, increasing the pressure given the team had looked so good prior to his return. Golden State needed the last few games of the season for him to build chemistry, particularly with their new star acquisition in Jimmy Butler.
Sunday's injury wasn't the first concern Kuminga has had since his return, having also banged knees with New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi during the fourth-quarter on Friday. These injury issues aren't overly surprising given the explosive type of game that the young forward plays with.
He could miss just a game or two (or even none at all), but the risk of re-aggravation (or fresh injuries) in the playoffs would loom over Kuminga and the team. If the former seventh overall pick has to deal various health issues entering the playoffs, it could end up hurting the Warriors at exactly the wrong moment.