Just a few days ago, Jonathan Kuminga‘s future with the Golden State Warriors was considered numbered. After Jimmy Butler’s season-ending injury, there is a new hope that the Warriors’ young player will get his time on the floor. Steve Kerr was asked if Jonathan Kuminga would be getting his minutes with his star player out for the season. The Warriors coach’s response was positive. However, the new possibility hasn’t diluted the heat that Kerr has received for the Kuminga situation.

Earlier this month, Kuminga was taken out of the lineup for the first time, when fully healthy, he was asked about his relationship with Kerr. “We have a good relationship…get to talk and figure out things. We don’t have any problem,” he said. However, in the last few weeks, Kuminga’s situation has been perhaps the biggest story out of the team’s locker room, where he is almost invisible.

With the Warriors coach still in hot water, former NBA champion Richard Jefferson came to his defense.

“Steve Kerr is one of the best coaches in the league,” Jefferson said during the Road Trippin’ Show. “If the argument is Steve Kerr vs Kuminga, and y’all are trying to choose that dynamic, let me help you out. Steve Kerr is one of the best in the league. He’s been proven a winner. The man has 10 championships. SHUT UP. If you think you know more than somebody with 10 championships, as a player, played with MJ, played with Tim Duncan. Multiple iterations with this Warriors team.”

Jefferson added, “If you think you know more than that man and his experience than we can’t have a conversation. I’m not saying he’s perfect, but who you gonna go get a better resume?”

However, as great as Richard Jefferson is, he might be missing some points. There is no question about Kerr’s ability to coach.

The championship coach has been criticized for failing to develop a young player with significant potential. Kuminga could have very well been a solid bench scorer, if not the second scorer behind Steph Curry.

Steve Kerr deserves some blame for Jonathan Kuminga’s situation

According to The Athletic, after the Warriors lost to the OKC Thunder in their first game in December, Kuminga entered the locker room seemingly frustrated. What could have been the reason? Steve Kerr had asked him to enter the game in the third quarter when the Warriors were down 11 points.

By the fourth quarter, with Kuminga on the floor, the Dubs had cut the lead to just 3 points. After that, Kuminga never saw a minute of game time, and the Warriors lost by 12 points.

This is just one of Jonathan Kuminga’s frustrations since the season started. After a tumultuous offseason, with a fresh contract, many expected that the apparent rift between the team and Kuminga was over.

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In fact, it did seem so in the first few games of the season. But something happened that certainly changed the course of the relationship between Kuminga and his coach.

On January 2, the Warriors were set to host the Thunder again. Kerr decided to rest his stars, which meant Kuminga would be available for the game. However, hours before, his name appeared on the injury report. He had been sidelined with a lower back injury. Was he really injured? It seems like the Warriors player refused to dress for the game.

“I wouldn’t have played either,” said an anonymous Warriors player to The Athletic. “It’s clear the coach doesn’t believe in him.”

Last season, during the Western Conference semifinals, the Warriors lost Curry to injury for the entire series. The Warriors won Game 1 but lost the next four, falling 4-1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kuminga led the Warriors’ scoring in the last four games, averaging 24.25 points per game on 55.4 percent shooting.

Of course, Steve Kerr shouldn’t be blamed for the entire fallout. However, from the coaching standpoint, how does a player with that athleticism and scoring character not get a time in rotation?