As Jonathan Kuminga has returned to the Golden State Warriors lineup over the last six games, the 22-year-old forward has been slow to find his best fit within the re-shaped offense.
With the arrival of Jimmy Butler prior to the trade deadline, Golden State' structure changed entirely, now operating largely around Butler's dynamic ability to score at the rim.
Kuminga, who missed 31 games with a sprained ankle, has scored in bursts since his return last week, but appears to be struggling to get his best looks in his current bench role. Since his return, he is averaging 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Now, with the Warriors looking more dangerous than they have at any point this season, their offseason needs in regards to the squad's new configuration have crystallized -- they need a bona-fide third scoring option to complement Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry.
The Warriors need a third scoring option
Since February 1, Golden State has been a top-five offense in the league, playing off of their star veteran trio of Curry, Butler and Draymond Green, along with seeing the emergence of several young players.
Yet even with Jimmy Butler in their starting lineup, the Warriors are still missing a dynamic cutter who can feed off of the spacing that Curry provides and the playmaking abilities of Butler.
Golden State has hoped even before Butler's arrival that Kuminga, the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, could fill this role for the team, using his extraordinary athleticism to elevate his efficiency. Yet in his short career to date, Kuminga has struggled with consistency on offense, and his upcoming restricted free agency does not make his future with the Warriors a guarantee.
While Golden State could certainly make a deep playoff run with Curry and Butler leading the charge, another scoring option would take some of the burden off of their shoulders and prevent opposing defenses from targeting the pair too directly.
The team has some internal options to fill this role, including rookie center Quinten Post and second-year guard Brandin Podziemski. Podziemski, who has recently re-taken the starting shooting guard spot, has shown signs of the ability to take over offensively this season and is averaging 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Post, who was called up from the G-League in January, has been a revelation for the team, using his height and three-point shooting ability to space the floor and provide much-needed offense at his position. He is averaging 8.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists this season.
However, both of these players would need to take a major step forward in order to provide the scoring the Warriors need in accompaniment to Curry and Butler. Perhaps this offseason Golden State may need to pursue an external option, such as Cam Johnson, in order to provide their veterans with the best chance of winning a title before the end of their careers.