Draymond believes media blew Kuminga’s benching out of proportion originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Draymond Green believes the controversy surrounding Jonathan Kuminga’s recent drafting with the Warriors has been overblown.
The 34-year-old superstar explained why Kuminga was moved to the bench and why it’s not a big deal during a segment on “The Draymond Green Show.”
“It was 100 percent out of proportion,” Green said. “That’s why you see JK entering the game the way he entered the game with his foot on the accelerator. And he came into the game with force [we needed] him to play with.
“A complete overreaction, because the reality is that the line-up is changing [with Steph Curry not playing]. Now that Steph isn’t here, you need to add more shots in different places. Instead of JK being there, we added Moses [Moody] and Buddy [Hield] because you need that shooting to clear the floor.
With Golden State having plenty of depth to start the season, Steve Kerr has experimented with starting lineups. Given Steph Curry’s ankle injury, the Warriors have looked to Hield and Moody to score from beyond the three-point line.
The Warriors are relying on Kuminga to provide a stronger presence around the rim, and the 22-year-old has played exceptionally well in recent games after coming off the bench.
This isn’t the first time Kuminga has been involved in a benching controversy, as he clashed with Kerr over playing time last season and controlled crucial chunks of crunch time.
So far, the draft moves have gone well, with Golden State amassing a 4-1 record through the first five games of the 2024-2025 NBA season.
Given the 82-game regular season, expect more lineup work from the Warriors. Still, Kuminga is an essential part of the team, and Green and the rest of the squad know the impact he makes whether he’s in the starting line-up or not.
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