The Golden State Warriors lost an ugly game on Friday night to the Denver Nuggets in which they were without superstar guard Stephen Curry. After the game, it was veteran forward Draymond Green who gave a much-needed and public wake up call to Jonathan Kuminga after a rough showing.
The Warriors were undermanned going up against a strong opponent in the Nuggets, but that did not make the loss sting any less. The Warriors are in the midst of a brutal stretch of the schedule, having now lost five of their past six games.
Draymond Green sends wake up call to Jonathan Kuminga
A lot of Golden State's younger players struggled against Denver, including Kuminga who's been really solid for much of the season, yet on Friday scored just six points and made just 3 of his 10 attempts from the field.
It was a forgettable effort, and after the game Green was not afraid to talk about it when asked about Kuminga's performance:
"This is the first time JK has played this amount of minutes. Our schedule — it’s been complete [expletive]. And you’re playing the amount of minutes you’re playing, you’re being relied on night in and night out, and you’re playing more games in the amount of days that you’ve ever played. So it’s a whirlwind. I’m sure his head’s spinning. But A) this is what he wanted and B) he’s cut out for it," Green said.
Green was blunt in addressing Kuminga's struggles, but also didn't put all the blame on the young player. He noted the tough schedule and that Kuminga is being asked to do more this season, having averaged over 30 minutes per game for the first time in his career.
At the same time, Green makes a very valid point in saying that this is what Kuminga wanted after Kuminga's prolonged contract saga over the summer. He ended up getting paid and is now being asked to do more which is exactly what he wanted.
Green made sure to note that he believes Kuminga is more than capable of playing well with this responsibility on his shoulders, but this wake up call could be a necessary one for the former seventh overall pick.
The Warriors do have a tough stretch upcoming. After Sunday's game at home, they have six straight on the road and are going to need more from all of their players, Kuminga included, as they try to right the ship amidst this difficult stretch of the schedule.