The NBA season has already seen a lot of ups and downs for Jonathan Kuminga in just a month. Golden State Warriors fans expected a big season from Kuminga after he signed a contract extension shortly before the season started and had a great first couple of weeks. Kuminga appeared ready to be the third option behind All-Stars Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.
Unfortunately, the hot start cooled off with some lackluster games that moved him back to the bench and an injury that has forced him to miss three consecutive games. Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Taylor, replied with anger to a Warriors reporter saying the team has played its best games of the season without the young star.
“I would more just accuse you of being stupid. If Steph averaged 48 PPG on the road, the Warriors would have started 8-1. The Lakers and Nuggets wins weren’t great games? Steph was sick and now he’s not.”
The agent made it clear that Curry returning from an injury and having a couple of incredible performances are the real reasons for Golden State playing this well.
What Exactly Upset Kuminga’s Agent
Tim Kawakami was the Warriors reporter who made the controversial comment that set off Kuminga’s agent. His argument focused on Golden State playing better team basketball when Kuminga is on the bench or not active at all in recent games since Curry returned to the lineup.
“I’ll be accused of being mean for this, but I’ll just say that these were the best two games of the Warriors’ season so far,” Kawakami said on X. “And Kuminga played 12 minutes in the first one and none in this one. I’m not saying he’s a bad player or useless. I’m saying that this is worth noting.”
The criticism was clearly meant to imply that the Warriors may be better off trading Kuminga or not forcing him into important situations like they did earlier in the season. A strong start proved that Kuminga could contribute to winning basketball, as his numbers looked great and Golden State piled up wins. However, more of this is needed before Warriors fans fully trust him.
Kuminga’s Confusing Future In Golden State
Golden State signed Kuminga to a two-year extension worth $48.5 million in that time frame. However, it showed that the Warriors didn’t have full confidence in extending him beyond two years. Most teams look to keep a young player for three or four more seasons, but Kuminga took the shorter deal for more money.
Fans loved Kuminga’s production in the first seven games this year, with averages of 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in that span. Unfortunately, the drop-off came right after that, bringing his numbers back down. Kuminga has averaged 9.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the six games since.
Golden State clearly needs more talent than Butler and Curry to keep up with all the high-powered offenses around the league. Other offensive options Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield have been lackluster this season. Strong play from Kuminga is badly needed for the Warriors’ short-term success this season and for his long-term success in securing another contract.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jonathan Kuminga’s Agent Calls Out “Stupid” Warriors Reporter appeared first on Heavy Sports.