An under-the-weather Kevon Looney or not, Steve Kerr took a gamble Thursday night before the Warriors' 27-point blowout win against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals. Nobody expected JaMychal Green to start for Golden State, nor did they expect him to give such an impressive performance.
The veteran big man scored 15 points in 13 minutes, and the Warriors' starting five was a plus-5 together, scoring 35 points over 12 1/2 minutes.
But now after the Warriors' 30-point blowout loss in Game 3 on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, putting them in a 2-1 hole for the series, Kerr's next adjustment might have to be more minutes for a 20-year-old Jonathan Kuminga.
Kerr's message to Kuminga has been consistent through the regular season, and the playoffs: Stay ready.
"I tell all our guys to stay ready for whatever opportunity comes your way," Kerr said Warriors at Warriors practice, one day after the Warriors' Game 1 loss to the Lakers. "Injuries happen, matchups change."
Even Kerr knows staying ready through stops and starts is easier said than done.
"It’s not an easy job to all of a sudden get out there and play after sitting for a week or two," Kerr continued. "It’s all part of it."
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Kuminga was a DNP (Did Not Play) in Game 1 against the Lakers. He was a DNP in Game 5 of the first round against the Sacramento Kings and averaged only 6.0 minutes for the series. In Game 2 against the Lakers, he played the final 9:43 of the Warriors' blowout win, received a standing ovation at Chase Center, and scored three points on 1-of-4 shooting but made his only 3-point attempt.
On Saturday night, with the game out of hand for the Warriors, Kuminga entered for the first time with 9:11 left and Golden State trailing by 26 points. He played the rest of the way and led the bench with 10 points, the fourth-highest of any Warrior. Kuminga was 3 of 4 from the field, scoring from all three levels.
First he drained a 12-foot pull-up jumper. Then he nailed a three in rhythm from the corner. Kuminga also scored the final two points of the night, putting his head down and finishing strong at the rim.
More importantly, in his nine minutes, Kuminga took more free throws than the rest of his teammates. He got to the line twice, going 3 of 4.
Here are both ways Kuminga forced his way to shooting two free throws off his strength and athleticism.
The Warriors on Saturday were outscored by 16 points at the free-throw line. The Lakers took 37 total, 20 more than the Warriors' 17. In the Warriors' two losses this series, the Lakers have taken 42 more free throws than them. The Lakers' plus-44 differential in free throws is the most through the first three games of a playoff series since 2011.
Looney didn't look right at all. He played 16 minutes and only had four rebounds after averaging 15.2 up to that point in the playoffs. Golden State's two Greens, Draymond and JaMychal, combined to grab two rebounds as the starting frontcourt. Draymond had two and JaMychal didn't have any.
JaMychal Green also was 1-of-5 shooting and missed all of his 3-point attempts. If he can't stretch the defense, his use is neutralized.
There wasn't a real matchup for Kuminga against the Kings, and he didn't produce in the few opportunities he received. He wasn't perfect Saturday night, finished as a minus-4 and almost tripped over his own feet. He also went and got his.
Kuminga attacked. He got to the free-throw line. He let it fly with a three in flow of the offense. He showed the type of energy that can carve him a role in the rotation.
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Through the eight games Kuminga has played in this playoff run, it's clear right now Kerr isn't filled with trust. What Kuminga does wrong can outweigh what he does right in disastrous ways, but what Kuminga does most natural can help for spurts against the Lakers.
Whether it's LeBron James or Anthony Davis, Kuminga's activity can wear down the Lakers' two biggest stars. He can help lessen the free throw issue and give a veteran frontcourt some rest as someone who can afford to play hard and earn some fouls.
Kuminga, still 20 years old, has looked his age plenty of times this postseason, and he's also someone who averaged 13.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per game over the final two months of the regular season without Andrew Wiggins.
Kerr has a long history of genius in-series adjustments. His next gamble might have to be rolling the dice on the Warriors' ultra-athlete a few more times.
