Despite appearing in just 43 total minutes across the course of the first six games, Jonathan Kuminga was the first player off the bench for Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Sunday.
An illness for Gary Payton II opened up an opportunity for Kuminga in the do-or-die game, but again the young forward failed to take advantage as veteran teammate Buddy Hield helped the Warriors advance with a stunning 33-point performance in the 103-89 win.
The Warriors remain with a Jonathan Kuminga problem heading into the second-round
Having been out of the rotation in six of the past eight games, it was always going to be a tough task for Kuminga to have a positive impact in a such a high-stakes environment on the road. That's exactly how it played out, with the 22-year-old recording just one rebound and a steal in just over seven minutes.
Kuminga's first real involvement saw him drive confidently to the rim, only to blow an easy layup after a nice pump-fake on Steven Adams. He missed the put-back attempt, then made a careless turnover as he tried to find Jimmy Butler a few possessions later.
Kuminga's second stint in the second-half was also error-ridden. A wild, ill-advised 3-point attempt wasn't close, a mid-range jump-shot at the end of the shot-clock was blocked by Tari Eason, and Steven Adams grabbed an offensive rebound over him that led to a three from Jabari Smith Jr.
Again, none of this is overly surprising given the difficult situation Kerr and Golden State have put their former seventh overall pick in. It does make it more painful though when you see what Amen Thompson did for the Rockets throughout the series, including threatening to take-over in the second-half as the 22-year-old went for a team-high 24 points and nine rebounds.
The Warriors once again find themselves in a tough spot with Kuminga entering Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. As underwhelming as his minutes were on Sunday, Kerr might have to turn to Kuminga again if Payton remains out, and if he feels he needs to manage the minutes of Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green a little after the veterans played 45 and 40 minutes respectively in Game 7.
Golden State are likely to have to find minutes from somewhere, having leant heavily on their starters as the bench combined for just three points on Sunday. Whether that's Kuminga or fellow youngsters Moses Moody, Quinten Post and/or Gui Santos remains to be seen, but time has again been bought for the enigmatic forward to still make a playoff impact before he hits restricted free agency this offseason.