After a long absence of 31 consecutive games, Jonathan Kuminga is set to make his return to the court this Thursday against the Sacramento Kings. The forward has been participating in scrimmages over the past couple of weeks, marking his first competitive play since sustaining a right ankle injury on January 4.
Prior to his injury, Kuminga was showcasing the best form of his career, averaging 20.5 points over his last 14 games. In fact, he scored 20 or more points in four out of the six games leading up to his injury, including an impressive 34-point performance in two of those outings.
Even though he is now healthy, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr indicated that Kuminga’s return will be gradual, starting with him coming off the bench against Sacramento. Kerr noted the challenge of reintegrating players into a team that has been performing well, having won 12 of their last 14 games since the arrival of Jimmy Butler.
“It’s a challenging situation when you’re playing at such a high level and a key player is coming back,” Kerr remarked, emphasizing the need for caution. “The plan is to bring him back slowly, allowing him to play short bursts to regain his rhythm. However, we also need to keep playing Gui Santos and others who are contributing to our current success. These situations often evolve over time, and we hope for the best outcome.”
At just 22 years old, Kuminga will enter restricted free agency in the offseason, but his teammate Draymond Green believes he shouldn’t stress too much about it, considering his strong performance before the injury. “You can’t expect to recover everything in a single day,” Green advised. “With the contract situation looming, it’s natural to feel a bit of pressure, but it’s important to take your time.”
“I’ve been in similar contract situations before, and it’s incredibly tough to navigate. You want to return and immediately make an impact, but that can lead to frustration,” he continued. Green emphasized that Kuminga should focus on the team rather than his individual numbers. “He needs to give himself grace as he transitions back into playing. It’s important to gradually build back his game. We’re gearing up for a significant run, and he will have ample opportunity to showcase the talent we all know he possesses.”
