SAN FRANCISCO — Jonathan Kuminga sat at his locker, alternating his gaze between his cell phone and the pile of shoes in front of him, as a Warriors staffer carried over a set of NBA-sized crutches Sunday afternoon and placed them at his side.
While his teammates prepared for the second game of their back-to-back against the Sacramento Kings, Kuminga processed his reaction to the news that he wouldn’t be suiting up alongside them for the better part of the next month.
He twisted his right ankle in the second quarter of Golden State’s 121-113 win over Memphis on Saturday, and the results of an MRI on Sunday confirmed the worst. The sprain he suffered was “significant” and he won’t be re-evaluated for another three weeks, ruling him out of a minimum of 11 games.
“Brutal,” head coach Steve Kerr said before tipoff. “JK’s been playing so well. Obviously such a big part of what we’re doing. He’s our most athletic scorer (and) finisher. He’s been playing so well. It’s a tough one. We do feel good about our depth and our ability to withstand his loss. Kyle, Moses, those guys will get more of an opportunity, and I’m excited about that.”
With one awkward landing, the momentum the young wing had built in recent games hit an immediate snag. Before coming down on Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia while going for a rebound, Kuminga had emerged as a reliable second option to Steph Curry. Over the past month, Kuminga scored at least 30 points three times and averaged 20.5 points per game, a stretch that Kerr has described as the best stretch of his young career.
“That too,” Kuminga said in response to the unfortunate timing. “I just don’t want to be out. I want to be out there. It feels like our team is now taking off in the right direction and I would love to just be out there. …
“I’m not happy with what happened. I would love to be out there, but I don’t decide what’s going to happen. … I’m just concerned with how to get better every day. Watching film, being around my teammates so I can keep that same spirit and energy. I’m not really worried.”
While Kuminga said it wasn’t the worst ankle sprain he has suffered, he knew as soon as he hit the ground that it wasn’t good. He laid on the floor, pounded his fist and eventually hobbled back to the locker room under his own power, never returning to the bench.
In Kuminga’s absence, the Warriors got 22 second-half points from Andrew Wiggins, who will be asked to step up over the next few weeks. Wiggins’ 24 total points were his most in a game since Dec. 15 and marked his fifth-highest scoring total of the season.
“It puts more of the scoring burden on Wiggs’ shoulders, but he’s up for that,” Kerr said. “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.”
The larger role taken on by Kuminga had come off the bench, so the Warriors’ starting lineup didn’t look any different Sunday against the Kings — who were without De’Aaron Fox — but Kyle Anderson was expected to assume a large chunk of his minutes.
Since signing as a free agent, the 31-year-old veteran had fallen out of the rotation, averaging near career lows in minutes (14.2 per game) and points (5.2). But called into duty Saturday, Anderson filled out the stat sheet in 21 minutes, his most time on the court since the start of November.
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And, with the nickname “SloMo,” he plays with a slightly different style than the high-flying Kuminga.
“The whole thing with Kyle is his basketball IQ, his size,” Kerr said. “He’s really a point forward, the way he handles and passes the ball. But he’s 6-foot-9, really sees over the defense. And then he has that pace that’s unique to himself. He’s a very unique player, but a very effective player. We were lucky to get him, and last night showed exactly why.”
A day after the injury, Kuminga said he was feeling better. And he was in good enough spirits to joke that, “I’m still young, so my body heels faster,” when asked about the three-week timeline provided by the Warriors. Still, he said he planned to defer to the training staff.
“I would love to be back before the time, but I’m going to take the process slowly because I trust the guys behind the (scenes) that know what they’re doing,” Kuminga said. “Just listen to them and take it slowly until I heal.”