Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was among those in attendance on Saturday to watch rookie Jonathan Kuminga on assignment with the Santa Cruz Warriors, their NBA G League affiliate.
The Warriors announced that Kuminga would play with Santa Cruz on Saturday against the Stockton Kings. Kerr made the trek down to Santa Cruz from San Francisco and had the opportunity to watch Kuminga in person in the Warriors’ second game of the season.
Kuminga recorded 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and one blocked shot in nearly 38 minutes of work in the 104-92 loss. He struggled to shoot a bit from the field, going just 4-of-13 from the field and 1-of-5 from 3-point range.
Kerr said during an interview with Santa Cruz broadcasters Kevin Danna and Drew Shiller that the assignment will give him the opportunity to get more reps.
It’s great for him to be here. He needs all the playing time he can get. He is such a talented young guy and it’s so fun to see him out here. He just needs reps. He’s big, strong, got a good feel for passing. I just think he’s trying to figure out what kind of player he is and that’s what we’re trying to help him figure out.
Kuminga previously played with Santa Cruz on Wednesday during their preseason finale. He put up 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots during that contest as he will likely play multiple games this season in the G League.
The organization wants to continue to get Kuminga, and fellow rookie Moses Moody, playing time this season as minutes are scarce with Golden State. He continues to flash his potential, and had several aspects of his game on display versus the Kings.
He’s back! 🤟
Ignite alum @JonathanKuming6 put up 15 pts, 6 reb, and 4 ast tonight for Santa Cruz. pic.twitter.com/TiO1W8BpV9
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) November 7, 2021
Kuminga will likely have a tough time cracking the Warriors’ rotation right now so he will shuttle back and forth between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. He has impressed during his short time with the team and projects to be a big part of the future with the Warriors.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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