Jonathan Kuminga is set to be available for Game 6 of the Golden State Warriors first-round series against the Houston Rockets on Friday night, but that doesn't mean the young forward is guaranteed of seeing the floor for Steve Kerr.
The 22-year-old was a late out for Game 5 on Wednesday due to a migraine, yet is off the injury report for Game 6 which subsequently restores the ever-present question of whether Kuminga will see rotation minutes.
Jonathan Kuminga missed a big opportunity in Game 5
The biggest disappointment of Kuminga's illness and absence on Wednesday was that he missed a real opportunity to press his claim for minutes going forward. The Warriors didn't come to play in Game 5 on the road, finding themselves down by 30 early in the second-quarter before Steve Kerr waved the white flag by halfway through the third.
Golden State's bench made a significant run early in the fourth though, forcing Ime Udoka into bringing back his starters while reducing the lead to as little as 13 in what resulted as a 131-116 defeat.
In a usual situation Kuminga would have been part of that fourth-quarter group, and perhaps being an integral part of that going against the Rockets starters may have been just what he needed to convince Kerr of his potential impact in this series.
Alas, it was instead the fifth time in the last seven games that Kuminga hasn't seen the floor, albeit in very different circumstances. The former seventh overall pick was a DNP for three-straight games, played around 45 total minutes while Jimmy Butler was out in Games 2 and 3 of this series, and was again a DNP for the Game 4 victory at Chase Center on Monday.
While there are some that would argue that Kuminga's size and athleticism are needed against the young Rockets, it's incredibly likely that he remains out of the rotation for Game 6. It may not be do-or-die in the traditional Game 7 sense, but the Warriors should take it as such and have absolutely no interest in returning to Houston for a series decider on Sunday.
Kuminga's availability means that Golden State will have a full roster to choose from for Game 6, with Stephen Curry and Gary Payton II continuing to play through thumb injuries. Jimmy Butler is off the injury report altogether, having initially been listed as 'questionable' for Game 4 and 'probable' for Game 5 but appeared in both despite his pelvic contusion.