Jonathan Kuminga made his anticipated return to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night, but the young forward was left in an impossible situation to succeed after missing the last seven games due to knee tendinitis.
A knee issue for third-year big man Trayce Jackson-Davis left the Warriors with only one recognized center available against the New Orleans Pelicans. The one that was available -- Quinten Post -- played less than 17 minutes, leaving Kuminga to play some small-ball minutes at the five in a role he would have seldom been used to through his career to date.
Steve Kerr and Warriors put Jonathan Kuminga in a tough spot against the Pelicans
Kuminga started well with a layup and a couple of nice passes in his first stint on the floor, but the second-half was also filled with some iffy shot selection and a few defensive lapses which included being torched by Saddiq Bey in a post-up that resulted in an and-one layup.
In credit to the 23-year-old, he didn't lose his confidence and buried a pair of crucial 3-pointers in the fourth on a night where Golden State shot just 25.5% from beyond the arc and a little over 40% from the field overall.
Kuminga had 10 points, one rebound and two assists in nearly 19 minutes off the bench. It wasn't a disastrous performance by any means, but it also wasn't the kind of statement-making game that fans may have liked given the long absence and with Stephen Curry injured on the sidelines.
It's hard to do that in a role you're completely unfamiliar with. Even though the Warriors walked away with a 104-96 victory, upon reflection Steve Kerr might have paired Kuminga and Quinten Post a little more given the latter offers legitimate size and can stretch the floor from the center spot.
This recent injury absence, along with some underwhelming performances in the games prior, has many believing that Golden State will trade Kuminga somewhere between the time he's eligible from January 15 and the February mid-season deadline.
That leaves a fascinating period of nearly two months to see if Kuminga can rewrite that narrative, earn a consistent role again, and ensure that he's only moved for the best possible trade return. Saturday's performance may have been the start of his return, but it didn't do much to suggest that he'll be a likely member of the roster beyond February.