Amid the Golden State Warriors‘ back-to-back wins over the weekend, the biggest news to come out of Sunday’s game was Steve Kerr benching Jonathan Kuminga. Kerr decided to keep Kuminga on the sidelines despite him being healthy and gave him a DNP.
Speaking to reporters after the Warriors’ 123-91 victory against the Chicago Bulls, Kerr was asked about his decision to not play Kuminga even during garbage time. The four-time NBA champion coach explained that non-star players always get DNPs, so it’s not that uncommon.
“Happens to everybody pretty much, other than the stars. Guys come in and out of the rotation, depending on who’s available, how the team is playing,” Kerr said, via ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
Kerr added that players are always battling for minutes, pointing to Gui Santos earning the backup spot to the returning Jimmy Butler.
“This is how the league works. There’s always someone knocking down the door, trying to get your job. So, it’s on everybody to just compete, bring their best effort for the team. We’ve got a lot of guys doing that,” Kerr said.
Kuminga and Kerr have had a contentious relationship over the past couple of seasons, mainly due to the young forward’s role. But the 23-year-old had a surprising response to his benching.
Jonathan Kuminga Comments on Kerr Benching Him
Prior to getting a DNP on Sunday’s game, Steve Kerr was already critical of Jonathan Kuminga’s performances since returning from injury in late November. Kerr called out Kuminga, as well as Brandin Podziemski, before the Golden State Warriors’ 99-94 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.
Add those two latest remarks together, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Kuminga fired back at his coach. However, the athletic forward took the high road and remarked how happy he was to see the team’s success.
“We’ve been doing good. Things are working. So, I don’t see the point of taking certain people out of the rotation when we doing good, and things are going well,” Kuminga told Anthony Slater of ESPN.
Kuminga also confirmed that his relationship with Kerr has never been better:
“We have a good relationship. We talk and figure out things. We don’t have any problem. I don’t have any problem. Just didn’t go my way. I’m going to stay happy, stay locked in, stay focused, stay positive.”
While Kuminga didn’t get to prove Kerr wrong against the Bulls, Podziemski had a redemption game. He had 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
Kerr Praises Pat Spencer
Despite the absence of Steph Curry and the struggles of Brandin Podziemski, the Golden State Warriors found a gem in Pat Spencer. The two-way player has took over the team in the past four games, averaging 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
Spencer is shooting 59.1% from the field, including 75.0% from beyond the arc, and a perfect 100.0% from the free throw line. It’s unsustainable for the rest of the season, but the 29-year-old guard has seemingly earned the trust of Steve Kerr.
The Warriors coach even told NBC Sports Bay Area on Saturday that the organization needs to find a way to give Spencer a standard contract. The team doesn’t have an open roster spot, so they have to either waive someone or make a trade to give the former lacrosse standout an improved deal.
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