“Guarding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George!”: Steve Kerr Praises Jonathan Kuminga for Spotless Night as Warriors Beat Clippers 120–114

Things may finally be looking up for the Golden State Warriors again. After a torrid run of games, Stephen Curry and Co. secured a massive 120-114 win against the LA Clippers.

Alongside the other bright spots in the contest, Jonathan Kuminga shone especially bright. Having played a little over 23 minutes, Kuminga recorded 17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He also shot a very efficient ball, at 6 of 8 from the field (75%) and 3 of 5 from beyond the arc (60%).

After the game, Steve Kerr was asked to comment on the Warriors young star’s performance. Giving a glowing review of the 21-year-old, the following is what he said, as seen in the X (Formerly Twitter) post by ‘Warriors on NBCS.’

“He [Jonathan Kuminga] was great! He didn’t foul, you know, not one foul.”

Kerr was clearly very impressed by what he had seen from the youngster. He further explained why that was the case.

“And he’s out there guarding Kawhi [Leonard], and Paul George. You know, really tough matchups. He used his athleticism, had five rebounds in the first half, dove to the rim, and then took the three when it was there. The game just felt really clean to me, for JK. He kept it simple, and that is what we have been harping on.”

Kerr was impressed with JK’s “clean” defensive performance in guarding both Kawhi and PG pic.twitter.com/Umdr5YtFtn

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 1, 2023

Kerr later also mentioned that Kuminga was in the middle of a tough stretch, which left him frustrated on multiple occasions. So, when things finally went his way, he admitted he was beyond proud that ‘JK’ stuck with his approach.

All that being said, Kuminga wasn’t the only player who was great off the bench for the Warriors against the LA Clippers.

The Warriors’ bench showed up to play against the Clippers

The Golden State Warriors went into this game without their best two-way star, Andrew Wiggins, leading many to believe this would be a long night for the Dubs.

However, much to fans’ delight, the bench showed up and showed out against the Clippers. Chris Paul and Gary Payton II were standouts amongst the bench units, with the two making massive plays for the team down the stretch. And Warriors rookie guard Brandin Podziemski continued his electrifying run this season, with another very efficient 13-point performance.

This is exactly what the NBA community has been begging the Warriors to show. Admittedly, if they can use this performance as a lunch pad, and continue to play at a similar level, the team may have a chance at winning the 2024 NBA championship after all.