Is Jonathan Kuminga slipping back into his old habits? That's the worry of fans who've seen the young Golden State Warriors forward score just 11 points on 19 shot attempts over the past two games against the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers.
Sunday's game was also the first time Kuminga played less than 24 minutes all season, signifying the first real moment where Steve Kerr and the Warriors have moved away from the 23-year-old after a strong start to the season.
Warriors rightfully benched Jonathan Kuminga over the final 18 minutes
Kuminga was active on the glass with eight rebounds, yet he had just five points on 1-of-9 shooting when he was removed from the game with 5:53 left in the third-quarter. The former seventh overall pick wasn't to be seen again, with Kerr preferring fellow youngsters in Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Will Richard among others.
After everything that happened in the offseason with his free agency, and the focus that remains on him as a potential trade candidate once eligible from January 15, there will be increased scrutiny whenever Kuminga is benched by Kerr for a prolonged period.
But was Sunday's second-half that noteworthy? Was it a harsh call based on how important Kuminga's been for Golden State so far this season? Yes. But was it a necessary one based on how he was playing? Sure. Was it the right move? Absolutely. The Warriors outscored the Pacers by 30 once Kuminga left the floor, running away with a 114-83 victory that belied how uncomfortably close it was until the very end of the third period.
The second-half benching only becomes noteworthy if it filters into Tuesday's blockbuster matchup with the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder. We're less than two weeks removed from Kerr stating that Kuminga will be a starter going forward, so will that change so quickly after a pair of poor performances? Do Golden State need to go back to Moses Moody as a primary option to guard MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, not to mention the extra spacing likely needed against an elite defense?
Perhaps Kuminga deserves some leniency in the adjustment he's had to make over the past few games. Through the first eight outings of the season, he played 222 minutes with Stephen Curry alongside him. Even with the 2x MVP sidelined across the last three games, that remains the most used duo the Warriors have gone to this season.
Kuminga was just figuring out how to play with Curry effectively, highlighted by a 4-1 start to the season where Kuminga was featuring prominently. Maybe asking him to adjust without Curry was harder that we give credit for when he was playing almost all his minutes with the 37-year-old superstar.
We'll wait and see what happens from here, but there's little doubt Kuminga needs a quick response to reassure fans that his first seven or eight games were no flash in the pan.