Kerr, Warriors give Kuminga “green light” to shoot 3-pointers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – As the reward of Jonathan Kuminga’s summer of development it turns out, the 22-year-old forward earned a reward from Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
Kuminga now has a “green light” for his 3-point shot.
“That’s what I told him,” Kerr said Thursday after practice. “We want that shot. We want him, if he’s open, to let it fly.”
This comes after three seasons in which Kuminga’s offensive game was defined mostly by using his elite athleticism to drive toward the rim, whether in half-court sets or transition. He led Golden State in dunks with 138 but shot just 32.1 percent beyond the arc.
When Kerr and Kuminga met at the end of last seasonthe offseason directive was clear: Work on the 3-ball, stretch it, speed it up, get a natural feel for it and shoot it with confidence.
Or, as Kuminga described it, last week: “To be a full, complete player.”
He seems to have gotten there after three years of many lessons, countless hours of work, sheer determination – and some friction between player and coach.
Kerr made it clear that he wants the Warriors to play fast. Run at every opportunity. Shoot quickly or pass the ball to a teammate. The goal is to exhaust defenses in search of an open shot. And launch that open look without hesitation.
“The game must go on,” Kerr said. “The biggest problem we can face is if we have an open shot and don’t take it. In the NBA, the window is closing fast. And then the shot clock starts winding down. Then you compromise your transition defense because you have to take a bad shot.
“So. we really stress to JK – to all our guys, really – if you’re open, let it fly. And as we continue to build more continuity with our things that we execute, I think we’ll get better at that.”
Kuminga took seven 3-pointers Wednesday in Golden State’s preseason win over the Sacramento Kings. He made four. Although he made four triples several times in regular-season games, Kuminga attempted seven or more only twice, both times in lopsided losses.
Every one of Golden State’s decision makers wants Kuminga to become the starter. Someone capable of effectively defending multiple positions on one side and punishing defenses on the other with three-level scoring – at the rim, with mid-range and from deep.
If Kuminga can accomplish that mission, it would give Kerr multiple options for lineups and rotations.
It would have an impact on the distribution of Draymond Green’s minutes between power forward and center. It would give Kerr an opening to experiment with Andrew Wiggins at shooting guard, essentially replacing Klay Thompson. It would open minutes for Trayce Jackson-Davis in the center.
Plus, if Kuminga blossoms at small forward, it would give the Warriors the information they need to decide if he can be a future franchise cornerstone.
Kerr is working with a small sample size, but it is trending in the desired direction.
