For the past five seasons, the Golden State Warriors attempted to maintain a mini treasure trove of young talent while focusing on competing for championships. That plan, which began after the 2019-20 season, has failed miserably with the last big piece of the puzzle, Jonathan Kuminga, tethered to the Warriors rather precariously.
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Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets after the 2019-20 season, and Klay Thompson missed the entire season recovering from an ACL injury. They went from competing in the NBA Finals to the worst team in the West. They selected James Wiseman with their second overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, but parted ways with the 7-foot big man in less than two seasons.
The following year, they had two lottery picks. Instead of trading them for a proven star, they selected Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, who has yet to find a consistent role on the roster. And the Warriors are now feeling the consequences of their actions. Instead of claiming these players didn’t live up to their potential, Kendrick Perkins asks for some accountability.
“At what point are we going to hold the Golden State Warriors accountable?” Perkins said on the Road Trippin’ podcast. “If you have a guy like Jonathan Kuminga, one of the most athletic guys in the NBA, I believe he’s an elite talent that’s going to continue to get better.”
Kuminga’s role didn’t matter in his rookie season since Golden State won the 2022 NBA championship. But it wasn’t like he didn’t show flashes of greatness over the years, either.
Before Golden State acquired Jimmy Butler in December, Kuminga averaged 21.0 points and 6.3 rebounds on 46.4% shooting from the field. That is excellent production from the fourth year forward. However, once Butler arrived, Steve Kerr simply threw Kuminga to the wayside.
Kerr gets plenty of credit for the Warriors’ championships, and rightfully so. But Perkins believes he shouldn’t be spared criticism.
“When it comes down to guys elevating, and you see a guy that has the potential to be a franchise guy, Steve Kerr is holding these guys back,” Perkins said.
The former center’s gripe with Kerr stems specifically from how he handled Kuminga’s minutes during the 2023-24 NBA playoffs. “He’s the one who decided to bench the man at the start of the postseason last year,” Perkins said.
It appears the relationship between Kuminga and the Warriors has reached the point of no return. Their future remains uncertain, and a decision will surely be made soon.
