Jonathan Kuminga: ‘A lot of people that are playing … if they were in my shoes, they’ll quit basketball’

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Inconsistent.

If one word were to define Jonathan Kuminga’s fourth NBA season — one with a new contract of indeterminate size waiting at the end of it — it would be inconsistent. His play has been, but so has the role Steve Kerr has put him in, and those two things are linked. Kerr moved Kuminga into the starting lineup a couple of weeks ago saying the young forward needed the space to step up and prove what he could be for the franchise, but that lasted all of six games (with Kerr saying he needed to start Draymond Green at the four and Kevon Looney at the five for defensive reasons). Kuminga is back to the bench where, after a couple of tough games in that position, on Monday night he scored a team-high 26 points in a loss to the Pacers (because Stephen Curry had an off night).

After the game, Kuminga said he was used to this fluctuating role but not everyone could handle it. Here’s the quote, via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

“Sometimes I start, sometimes I don’t start,” Kuminga said. “Don’t really affect me. [At] this point in my career, I can’t put my head down and not go out there and play hard or try to be effective. I just go out there and do my job because I can’t even worry about things like that. The more you worry about things like that, the more you fail.”

“I’m used to it,” Kuminga added of starting and not starting. “From where I come from, you always got to be mentally tough. A lot of people that are playing … if they were in my shoes, they’ll quit basketball. They’ll need a therapist. They’ll go through a lot of mental situations. But that thing don’t affect me. As long as I go out here every day and just play, be with my teammates, [they] keep encouraging me to be who I am every day.”

Kuminga has been frustrated, but he hasn’t been a distraction.

The big question for Kuminga will come at the end of the season: Would he be better off with a change of scenery? He did not reach terms with the Warriors on a contract extension this offseason, with Golden State reportedly not willing to go above $30 million in annual average salary over the course of the deal and Kuminga seeking close to $35 million on…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/jonathan-kuminga-lot-people-playing-143447132.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-12-24 14:34:00

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