SAN FRANCISCO — As Draymond Inexperienced held court docket with reporters in entrance of his locker, Jonathan Kuminga exited the world behind him in a hidden alleyway on crutches.
“You alright?” Inexperienced requested his teammate.
“Yessir,” Kuminga responded from the corridor.
Kuminga sprained his proper ankle after touchdown awkwardly in a crowded paint late within the second quarter of Saturday night time’s win over Memphis. He was dominated out for the sport shortly after. The staff received’t know precisely how extreme the sprain is till MRI outcomes come again on Sunday, however head coach Steve Kerr stated the damage is “significant” and never a day-to-day ailment.
“Which (expletive) sucks,” Inexperienced stated.
It sucks as a result of the Warriors want Kuminga, and it sucks as a result of the damage is sure to interrupt the fourth-year wing’s greatest stretch of his younger profession. It’s additionally unlucky timing, because the Warriors wished to make use of these subsequent few weeks to guage the place the staff is at forward of the Feb. 6 commerce deadline.
If Kuminga is out of the combination, gauging how far this present group can go turns into indubitably extra sophisticated.
“For sure,” Andrew Wiggins stated when requested if the previous two weeks have been the most effective he’s seen Kuminga play. “Just offensively, I know that offensively it’s there. He’s making good decisions, he’s scoring at all three levels. Defensively, I feel like he took a big jump, too. He’s been guarding — on-ball, off-ball. You see the growth every game, he’s getting better and better.”
Kuminga scored 13 factors towards the Grizzlies earlier than struggling the damage, though he additionally dedicated 4 turnovers. Earlier than Saturday, he 24.3 factors and eight rebounds in his prior six video games. Kerr repeatedly described the stretch as a “breakthrough” — and a unique one than earlier flashes, he added.
After Kuminga exited on Saturday, Wiggins stepped up in a serious approach. He scored two factors within the first half earlier than erupting for 18 within the third quarter, sinking six straight pictures. Grizzlies wing Desmond Bane lit a hearth beneath him after he rammed by way of him for an and-1. Wiggins tried to return the favor on a fast-break alternative solely to whiff and journey out of bounds.
However after that, he was as aggressive offensively as he’s been all season.
“We definitely need that Wiggs because he’s one of the few guys who can actually get to the hole with that athleticism with that type of athleticism,” Inexperienced stated. “We definitely need that aggressive Wiggs. And we’ll stay on him about being aggressive.”
Kyle Anderson, who was out of the rotation for the previous couple weeks, performed 21 minutes and made a powerful two-way impression down the stretch whereas Golden State held off the Grizzlies. Anderson doesn’t play something remotely like Kuminga, however can guard up in measurement higher and has all the time been a wonderful passer.
Each Wiggins and Anderson mission to be key in treading water with out Kuminga — for nevertheless lengthy he’s out.
“There was a reason we signed him and Buddy (Hield),” Kerr stated. “We added a lot of depth for this reason, to be able to withstand some injuries. It’s going to be tough. JK has been playing the best basketball of his career these last couple weeks. So we’re going to miss him, but Kyle will fill in well.”
