Steve Kerr Talks About Kuminga's Fit in Lineups with Draymond and Butler

Steve Kerr and Jonathan Kuminga have had a rocky relationship. Kuminga has wanted more playing time and a longer offensive leash, while Kerr has continuously yanked around his minutes and changed his role. Recently, Kerr’s best excuse for not playing Kuminga has been his lack of fit in lineups with Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. 

In fact, Kerr benched Kuminga during the Warriors' first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets because he couldn’t find a way to make those lineups work. If Kuminga can’t fit with two of the Warriors' best players, he simply isn’t going to get much playing time. 

Kuminga’s fit in lineups with Butler and Green is still the subject of discussion around the Warriors. After the Warriors’ preseason opener, Kerr was asked again about the fit. 

“Well, there wasn’t much spacing, which is the big concern. But we’ve got to continue to give them some looks. I think Al kind of changes the equation here. I’m really intrigued to put Al and JK together with Draymond or Jimmy. That lineup makes perfect sense. But it still feels like, to me, if we’re trying to play Jimmy, JK, and Draymond, just from the other night, immediately, the spacing was not great. And it puts pressure on our offense to really have to execute. But it’s early in camp, too. If we can execute the stuff we’re trying to operate, it can be effective. But it’s just not a smooth fit.”

It sounds like while Kerr is still trying to make those lineups work, he has a lot of doubts. You’d think that a great coach like Kerr would be able to figure out how to make those three talented players work together. However, Kerr has won NBA championships as a coach and a player. He knows what it takes to win. 

So, if he can’t figure out a way to get those three to play together, Kuminga will be the odd man out. That’s why many people expect the Warriors to seek a Kuminga trade once he becomes eligible to be traded on January 15. In the meantime, they will continue to experiment with lineups to find the ones that work the best.