Why timing of Kuminga’s ankle injury is brutal for him, Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Timing is everything, and it couldn’t be worse for Jonathan Kuminga to miss multiple weeks due to an injury – both for the player and the team.
The Warriors on Sunday ahead of their game against the Sacramento Kings announced an MRI earlier in the day revealed Kuminga sustained a significant lateral sprain to his right ankle in Golden State’s win against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night and he will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
Kuminga exited with 2:27 left in the second quarter after coming down from attempting to block a shot, where he then took a hard fall from rolling his right ankle on Brandon Clarke’s right foot, and Jake LaRavia’s left foot.
Upon his fall, Kuminga immediately motioned to the Warriors bench, limped to the locker room and didn’t return for the rest of the game.
This embedded content is not available in your region.
“Brutal,” Kerr said Sunday during his pregame press conference. “JK’s been playing so well and obviously is such a big part of what we’re doing. He’s our most athletic scorer, finisher, and he’s been playing so well. It’s a tough one.”
At the time of his early exit, Kuminga was the Warriors’ leading scorer, already dropping 13 points in 15 minutes off the bench on 4-of-6 shooting, as well as going 3 of 3 from 3-point range. In his previous six games which included back-to-back 34-point performances, Kuminga was averaging 24.3 points on 52.7/35.0/71.7 shooting splits, while also grabbing 8.0 rebounds per game.
Now, the Warriors will be without that kind of production for at least the next 11 games. Kerr again will have to pull from his depth at a time when he was starting to find a firm nine-man rotation.
“We do feel good about our depth and our ability to withstand his loss,” Kerr said. “Kyle [Anderson], Moses [Moody], those guys will get more of an opportunity and I’m excited about that.”
Anderson, in his first season for the Warriors but his 11th overall in the NBA, has been in and out of Kerr’s rotation. He received five DNPs (Did Not Play) in December, and then played a key role down the stretch of the Warriors’ win against the Grizzlies, a team Anderson spent four seasons playing for. The versatile veteran forward did a great job guarding Jaren Jackson Jr. as Kuminga was icing his ankle in the locker room and wound up playing 22 minutes off the bench, his second-most the entire season.
Doing a bit of everything, Anderson had seven points, three rebounds and three assists, as well as two blocks and a steal.
Moody in his last three games has averaged 15 minutes off the bench and 13.0 points, making 13 of his 16 shots overall and nine of his 12 3-point attempts.
Another player who of course will have to step up as a primary scorer is Andrew Wiggins. In the first half Saturday night, Wiggins had scored just two points on 1-of-6 shooting and had missed all four of his tries from three. But with Kuminga gone for the night, Wiggins turned it on by scoring 22 points in the second half, including 18 alone in the third quarter.
“It puts more of a scoring burden on Wiggs’ shoulders,” Kerr said. “But he’s up for that. Every game is going to feel different. Every game is going to be different based on matchups. It’s on all of us to figure out what’s needed game to game, but Wiggs will definitely take on a big burden.”
Perhaps the hardest part of Kuminga’s injury is that it comes nearly exactly one month from the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline. This past few weeks, and this next month, is an ever-important evaluation process for Kuminga. For him, the Warriors and the entire league. He’s the Warriors’ most intriguing young trade piece, yet all indications lately have been the Warriors prefer to hold onto the 22-year-old with immense potential.
Kuminga did not receive a rookie contract extension over the offseason and is slated to enter restricted free agency this summer. On the season, Kuminga now is averaging a career-high 16.8 points per game. His 5.0 rebounds per game also are a career-high, and his 2.2 assists per game are also tied for the best of his four-year career.
The Warriors’ depth has been praised all season long. Others will answer the call in Kuminga’s absence. His injury, however, is about much more than who will now receive a boost in playing time.
His return should come with a few games left to showcase himself ahead of the trade deadline, for both his current team and possibly his future team, too.
Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast
This embedded content is not available in your region.
