Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has reportedly lost faith in coach Steve Kerr, according to sources close to Kuminga who spoke with The Athletic. On Thursday night, Kuminga sat for the final 18 minutes of the team’s game against the Denver Nuggets, leading to his apparent loss of faith in Kerr.
The 2021 lottery pick believes that Kerr will not allow him to reach his full potential, and sources say that Thursday night’s game was the breaking point for Kuminga. Despite a strong performance, including 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting, four rebounds, and four assists, Kerr benched Kuminga, which may have contributed to his loss of trust in the coach.
Kerr addressed Kuminga’s benching, saying it “didn’t feel like the right thing to do” to put him back into the game after Thompson and Looney were subbed out for a break, despite Kuminga’s high level of play and significant on-court impact.
Kuminga has been showcasing his talent on the court, averaging 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 56.6% from the field in 25.5 minutes per game in the 11 games since becoming a full-time starter.
The reported rift between Kuminga and Kerr comes as the Warriors face a challenging season, sitting at 16-18 and struggling with a leaky perimeter defense. Kerr must now navigate a situation where one of the team’s most promising young talents has expressed a loss of trust in the head coach.