“We’re not in exploration mode, we’re in desperation mode.” That was the brutally honest assessment from Mark Willard after Jonathan Kuminga got hit with a DNP-CD in the Warriors’ final regular-season game — a tough 124–119 overtime loss to the Clippers. Willard’s take sums up the vibe perfectly: this is no longer the time for experimenting. And apparently, Stephen Curry agrees.

After the loss, Steph was asked what he wanted to see from Kuminga in the future — and his answer wasn’t a hug or a pep talk. It was more like, “Get your head right.” “Just to be ready. It’s the test of a young player in this league and especially with our team… Don’t let noise outside of the locker room, the attention that might come from it, distract you from your ability to make an impact when your number is called.“

Be ready, or be irrelevant. Curry isn’t here to coddle anyone. This is playoff time. This is legacy time. And for Steph, who just dropped 36 points in an OT nail-biter, the bar is sky high.

Kuminga’s absence from the rotation wasn’t lost on anyone. He was healthy. Steve Kerr just… didn’t play him. After the game, Kerr chalked it up to game flow — but when you’re trying to climb out of a play-in hole and your young athletic wing can’t get on the floor? That says plenty without saying much at all.

Let’s rewind a bit. Kuminga’s 2024–25 season has been a rollercoaster. He missed 31 games earlier this year due to right ankle soreness, only to go down again on March 30 with what was initially thought to be more ankle trouble. But that was later reclassified as a pelvic contusion — a brutal mid-air fall against the Spurs led to another sideline stint.

He returned on April 4 vs. the Lakers and, honestly, has been solid. In the nine games since his comeback, Kuminga’s averaged 11.1 points on 45.5% shooting, with 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in just under 19.3 minutes per game. Not world-beating numbers, but certainly worthy of some playoff prep reps. Instead, he sat. Healthy. In a critical game.

So yeah, people are asking questions.

DNPs, Desperation, and the “Steph Standard”

Steph alluded to it directly: “We saw this summer, DNPs are a loaded place.” That was a callback to Team USA, where Kuminga didn’t make the cut, and the message was similar then: potential’s nice, but execution wins championships.

There’s a very clear “Steph standard” happening here. Curry knows what it takes. He’s lived it. If you’re next to him on the floor, you better not be using these moments as learning experiences. These are win-or-go-home minutes now.

Kuminga has the tools: elite athleticism, a 6’8″ frame, positional flexibility, and flashes of dominance. But what he doesn’t have yet — at least not consistently — is trust. And trust, in this Warriors system, is gold. It’s how Steph, Draymond, and Klay built a dynasty.

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Golden State finished the season 48–34, locking them into the 7th seed and setting up a win-or-try-again play-in game against the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s deja vu all over again — the Warriors are 0–3 all-time in play-in games. Not exactly a comforting stat heading into a matchup against a young, gritty Grizzlies squad.

If they win, they get the Houston Rockets in the first round. If they lose? Well… things get dicey real fast.

So yeah, this isn’t the time to wonder if Kuminga can get back into the rhythm. It’s about who can help now. Steph made that clear. Kerr showed it with his rotation. And Kuminga? He’s officially on the clock.

Stephen Curry didn’t throw Jonathan Kuminga under the bus. He just reminded everyone that the bus only waits for winners. Kuminga’s future is still bright, but right now, he’s being told — not subtly — to either shine or step aside. The Warriors don’t have time to wait. Not with Steph still going nuclear and the postseason breathing down their necks.