Jonathan Kuminga's playing time (or lack thereof) continues to be a prominent talking point at the Golden State Warriors, but he's not the only young player to controversially receive the DNP treatment from Steve Kerr.
Just a game after Kuminga went from starter to out of the rotation against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, rookie guard Will Richard suffered the same punishment despite an impressive start to his NBA career.
Rookie Will Richard was axed from the rotation against the Timberwolves
With superstar guard Stephen Curry returning from a five-game absence with a quad injury, Richard not only lost his starting role but all of his minutes in what was an 11-man rotation during a 127-120 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center on Friday night.
While Richard hasn't got the same profile as Kuminga and therefore won't garner anywhere near the same level of national media attention, his removal from the rotation is arguably more controversial given he'd been a starter in 11 of the past 13 games.
Richard has been one of the biggest positives from Golden State's season to date, averaging 8.0 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting an incredibly efficient 53.3% from the floor and 39.7% from 3-point range.
Whereas Kuminga's removal from the rotation came after a number of underwhelming games and a stint on the sidelines through injury, Richard had remained a solid member of the rotation in averaging 22.8 minutes over the last seven games.
There was little indication that he'd be removed from the rotation entirely, having gone for nine points and four rebounds on 3-of-5 3-point shooting against the Bulls, while also finishing as a team-high +36 in his 24 minutes.
What made it even more questionable was the fact that Kerr and the coaching staff opened with Buddy Hield in the starting lineup, even though the numbers and eye test would suggest Richard has been far more impactful this season.
Two-way contracted guard Pat Spencer also remained in the starting lineup after his recent hot form, but both he and Hield had little impact in the second-half and ultimately didn't close the game as Kerr went to De'Anthony Melton and Moses Moody down the stretch.
This once again reiterates a primary issue within the Golden State roster -- that players can go from key starter to out of the rotation at the drop of a hat. Kuminga is an example of that as someone who will continue to create headlines whether he's in or out of the rotation, but so too is Richard whose axing deserves just as much examination.