Category: Basketball

Kuminga's Warriors importance on display in win vs. Pelicans originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

In a muddied win for the Warriors on Friday night, beating the lowly New Orleans Pelicans 111-95 at Smoothie King Center, they needed someone who could, well, get it out the mud. 

Steph Curry’s return of course was vital, scoring 23 points in 34 minutes after missing the previous two games – two losses to teams with losing records – because of a pelvic contusion. His second-quarter barrage of 13 points and making three 3-pointers proved to be huge on a night where the rest of the Warriors combined to go 8 of 39 (20.5 percent) from deep. Those are the kinds of games the Warriors need someone to put their head down and get to the rim.

That’s where Jonathan Kuminga always has been the X-factor that can lift the Warriors or be a chess piece trying to fit a jigsaw puzzle.

Kuminga scored 16 points in 23 minutes, leading all reserves, going 5 of 9 from the field. His seven rebounds also were his most since missing over two months to a bad ankle injury.

“Jonathan was good,” Kerr said to reporters after the win. “He gives us the attack to the rim. He got to the foul line eight times, rebounded well, so I thought he had a good night.”

It was the way Kerr used Kuminga offensively that really stood out. Not by mistake, the Warriors coach took advantage of the way Kuminga and Curry can complement each other with their differing skill sets.

A little over a minute after entering the game for Jimmy Butler, Kuminga had his first bucket of the night. Curry took the inbounds pass from a made free throw, darted past his man to the left wing where Kuminga met him. There, Kuminga set a screen for Curry, making both defenders guard the sharpshooter, and immediately rolled to the hoop. Curry found him and after taking one dribble, Kuminga jump stopped off two feet for a left-handed layup.

He surveyed the defense, found his way to the paint and pulled up for a 10-foot floater for his first bucket of the second quarter. Kuminga’s next basket was an alley-oop layup finish off a pretty pass from Draymond Green, but it began with him again being a screener for Curry, making two guys follow Steph, leaving a lane for Kuminga to attack and for Green to hit him with a dime.

The next time, Curry was used as an inverted screener for Kuminga. Curry set a screen on Kelly Olynk, leaving Jordan Hawkins 1-on-1 with Kuminga, who powered his way to a layup. Kuminga’s final made shot came from him simply backing his man down and making a turnaround seven-foot jumper. All power, exactly what was required Friday night.

The Warriors needed Jonathan Kuminga's power last night in a game where their 3-point shot was nowhere to be found. Using him as a screener with Steph Curry was really effective, too pic.twitter.com/rl0DkDVU4R

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) March 29, 2025

“The dive to the rim when JK sets that ball screen for Steph puts a lot of ball pressure on the defense,” Kerr said. “That was really key tonight. The two of them connected for three or four of those, and that was helpful.”

All five of Kuminga’s made shots were within 10 feet. Both of his misses were 3-pointers. He also went 6 of 8 from the free-throw line, making his first six before missing his last two after banging knees with Yves Misssi in the fourth quarter.

“He’s a force when he gets in the paint and gets a mismatch or gets downhill,” Curry said. “If I can create some attention, get him in the pocket – he’s really gotten better at seeing the angle and the lane if he doesn’t have anything and getting off of it. And it’s something we need to utilize depending on matchups. I can get going off his pick and roll, or I can get him in the pocket with an advantage and he can take over.”

Additionally, Kuminga also had three impressive assists. Just two minutes into his first stint he split the defense with a perfectly placed bounce pass, leading to a Quinten Post dunk. Kuminga also led Curry free for a fastbreak layup and later found Post at the top of the arc for three points.

While his 95 defensive rating for the game was tied for a team-best alongside Green, the eye test didn’t show Kuminga having as big of an impact there as the Warriors would like, especially with Gary Payton II out to a thumb injury. But the positives can’t be ignored.

Kuminga still hasn’t fit next to Butler. He’s still a weapon with Curry.

The playoffs can come down to power-on-power at times, and nobody is more of a wick waiting to be ignited and explode than Kuminga. Kerr doesn’t have to cater to him, but getting Kuminga in rhythm and finding the best ways to use him in the final two weeks of the regular season can be the special sauce of pushing the Warriors over the top.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

What Draymond told LeVert after heated Kuminga exchange originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors forward Draymond Green did not know that his trash-talking towards Atlanta Hawks forward Caris LeVert was captured by a microphone.

LeVert got into it with Jonathan Kuminga, and the always outspoken Green could not help but lay into the Atlanta forward by pointing out that he had been traded so many times throughout his NBA career. And on the latest “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis,” Green revealed why he got involved.

“I butted in because all I heard was he looked at JK at the free-throw line and was like, ‘You were this close to getting traded.’ That’s all I heard,” Green said. “I didn’t hear anything else that was said. Which was why my response was, ‘Bro, you’ve been traded seven times.’ How you going to talk to him about almost being traded and you’ve been traded seven times?

Green shared that Hawks star guard Tre Young also shared a comment, playfully telling Green to “chill.”

“JK must’ve said to him something about him getting traded, but I didn’t hear all that,” Green said. “But the last thing you’re going to do to one of my guys is talk about you were this close to getting traded. I can’t go with that.”

Green also admitted he didn’t know the microphone picked up his remarks to LeVert, and said he learned from a group chat with his friends that the broadcast audio got it.

“And they said yeah, the TV caught it for sure so I was like ‘Dang, my bad.’ And some of my boys in the group chat from Michigan State were like, ‘F–k that, he’s from the other side anyway,’ but some of my boys in the group chat also went to Michigan, so it started some sparks.

“I know Caris through one of my boys in the group chat that went to Michigan. Caris is a good dude. Man, you know we banter back and forth on the court. That’s just what it is. That’s what happens in the game. It’s just fun and games.”

The hotly contested game between Atlanta and Golden State ended with the Hawks pulling away for the 124-115 victory as the Warriors could not contain Georges Niang and Trae Young.

Green has become known for his smack talk, so it’s not a surprise that he unloaded on LeVert. That’s just part of his passionate playing style.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Why Draymond believes Spurs' Castle deserves Rookie of the Year originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors icon Draymond Green has made his choice for the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year.

In Friday’s edition of his “Draymond Green Show” podcast with co-host and ex-Golden State guard Baron Davis, the four-time champion explained why he believes San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle is worthy of the honor.

“I think he should,” Green told Davis about Castle deserving Rookie of the Year. “After we played them, I was saying, ‘I think that kid is going to be real.’ When I look at the rookie class, he’s been the most consistent player all year. I think everybody else has been up and down, he’s been extremely consistent.”

“Stephon Castle has had games that jump off the page. But I mean the whole body of work, there’s no rookie averaging 20 points; you haven’t seen that. His consistency all year is what makes him the Rookie of the Year.”

They say consistency is key.

Castle’s averages are solid across the board; over 71 games, he’s averaged 14.2 points, 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 26 minutes. He quietly has had 21 games of 20-plus points and two of 30-plus.

Just one day before Green’s podcast episode was released, Castle also became the first rookie to reach 1,000 points scored this season, after scoring 22 points in San Antonio’s 124-116 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Not too many rookies have caught Green’s eye. But Green believes Castle – who was selected No. 4 overall by the Spurs in the 2024 NBA Draft – will be an All-Star in the near future.

“You give this Rookie of the Year to Stephon Castle, you’re going to look back in two years like, ‘Well, he’s an All-Star. Guess we got it right,’” Green said. “So he’s got that potential, he will reach that potential. That’s the guy. He should be Rookie of the Year, 1,000 percent.”

Green has a basketball eye unlike any other. His bet surely is a safe one.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast