Jonathan Kuminga is proving a point to Steve Kerr

Jonathan Kuminga is showing why Steve Kerr was wrong to bench him at the start of the playoffs. Kuminga has been in and out of the Golden State Warriors' rotation all season and his minutes took a nosedive after Jimmy Butler arrived at the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

However, with Stephen Curry ruled out due to a grade one hamstring strain, Kuminga has been thrust back into the Warriors rotation. The explosive forward has not disappointed, and was among the best players on the court during the Warriors' 102-97 loss on May 10. 

Kuminga ended the game with 30 points, six rebounds and three assists. Head coach Steve Kerr praised the explosive forward's production during his postgame news conference. 

"JK played one of the best games of his life," Kerr said. "It was fantastic to see, and you can see how necessary he is in this matchup, especially without Steph. You know, we're having a tough time getting free, and he's obviously capable of giving us some points, getting to the rim, and I thought he was fantastic."

Kuminga's future is currently in limbo. He will become a restricted free agent this summer and his lack of a consistent role for the Warriors has generated some questions around his long-term suitability on the current roster. Yet, with his performances over the past two games, Kuminga is proving a clear point to Kerr. 

It's hard to question Kuminga's overall talent. He's strong, fast, explosive and a talented defender. The issue is, he needs more reps to continue improving, and Kerr has seldom been willing to give Kuminga the long leash a player needs to develop and hone their skills. Yet, despite the stop-start nature of his Warriors tenure, Kuminga continues to come up big when needed. 

As such, Kuminga is proving that he deserves a spot in the Warriors' primary rotation. He's also driving up his value around the NBA. Once the offseason arrives, Golden State must make a decision on his future. If he continues to shine during the playoffs, the Warriors may find themselves priced out of the running for his services. Perhaps Kerr should have been more open to developing the young star over the past few years.