Steve Kerr confirms roles for Jonathan Kuminga, Trayce Jackson-Davis for Game 3

The Golden State Warriors are headed back home with their Western Conference Semifinal series with the Minnesota Timberwolves tied at one game apiece. In Game 2, the Warriors saw two players who had been out of the rotation, Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis, provide quality minutes. And now approaching the pivotal Game 3, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr detailed his plan regarding both players as the series shifts to the Bay.

With Stephen Curry sidelined due to a hamstring injury, Steve Kerr confirmed that both Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis will be a part of the Warriors’ rotation for Game 3 against the Timberwolves, as per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

“There’s no Steph. It’s a completely different team,” Kerr said. “Everything has to be about finding a new formula and JK is absolutely a part of that formula. TJD showed he can be effective against this team.”

Despite the Warriors’ blowout loss to the Wolves in Game 2, both Kuminga and Jackson-Davis were able to be effective coming off the bench. Kuminga finished with 18 points and five rebounds while shooting 8-of-11 from the field in 26 minutes. Jackson-Davis finished with 15 points and six rebounds on a perfect 6-of-6 from the field in 19 minutes.

Kuminga in particular has been a major sticking point for fans who believe that he should have been getting consistent minutes in the Warriors’ rotation all season. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga’s time with the Warriors hasn’t always been smooth.

Heading into the final stretch of the regular season and into the team’s opening round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, Kuminga was out of the rotation. It’s a big year for him as well as he is set to potentially hit restricted free agency this offseason.

During the regular season, Kuminga appeared in 47 games, including ten starts, at a little over 24 minutes per game. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists with splits of 45.4 percent shooting from the field, 30.5 percent shooting from the three-point line and 68.8 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

In six playoff games so far, Kuminga is at 8.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists with splits of 43.6 percent shooting from the field, 40 percent shooting from the three-point line and 50 percent shooting from the free-throw line in about 18 minutes per game.