Young Warriors star shows value of complaining

On Jan. 4, Kerr left Kuminga on the bench for the last 18 minutes, even as the Warriors were blowing an 18-point lead in what became a 130-127 loss to the Denver Nuggets. 

Afterward, people close to Kuminga told The Athletic that he didn't think Kerr would "allow him to reach his full potential."

Usually, that's the sign a young player is going to force a trade or get benched. Instead, Kerr seems to have taken the comments to heart.

Since that game against the Nuggets, Kuminga has played more minutes than anyone on the team and scored more points than any Warrior not named Stephen Curry. He's averaging 19.8 points while shooting 55.1 percent from the floor and 38 percent from three-point range.

Kuminga has also given the Warriors something they've been lacking, which is a force going to the basket. He also gives them someone who can draw fouls, leading the team in that stretch with 4.5 free-throw attempts per game. 

Getting into the bonus is huge when the team has automatic free-throw shooters like Curry and Klay Thompson, but Kuminga has improved his own free-throw shooting to 79 percent since Jan. 4.

Now, instead of getting moved at the trade deadline, Kuminga is looking like a lock to get a rookie extension this summer. 

He has the league's third-best odds to win Most Improved Player and he started his 26th straight game Wednesday when he shot 12-of-17 in the Golden State win.

Kuminga also set the team's single-season record for dunks this week.

It's a testament to Kerr that he didn't react negatively to Kuminga's critical comments. 

Instead, he realized he needed to give his young player a shot, and has reaped the rewards from the decision. It's unconventional, but sometimes complaining about the coach is good for the team.