Within a week, Warriors coach Steve Kerr had gone from being irate with Jonathan Kuminga to praising his growth.

Draymond Green’s absence from the Warriors will likely last for a while, and rookie Jonathan Kuminga might gain the most from his absence. Given Kuminga’s recent expansion, this opportunity presents itself at an ideal moment.

The 19-year-old Kuminga started his third game of his career on Tuesday against the Pistons; coach Steve Kerr predicted that this will happen more frequently in the future.

“With Draymond out, it feels like a good time to play JK with Steph, Klay, and Loon. He’s played really well,” Kerr remarked. “Defensively, you can place him anywhere in there. He can cover any of those positions. We therefore have a strong desire to see his appearance in that starting group. Then, upon Draymond’s return, we’ll see how he appears alongside Draymond in that group. He deserves this.

The 19-year-old rookie’s most recent road trip with the Warriors was significant. In every game he participated in, he scored in double figures and displayed more spectacular dunks. The main cause for optimism, though, was Kuminga’s overall development as a player rather than any one standout performance.

Kuminga has shown “a lot of growth” in the last four games, according to Andrew Wiggins. Klay Thompson called Kuminga a “huge part of this team for a long time” and a “building block for years to come” as he concluded the trip. With Green out, Kerr referred to Kuminga’s trip as “a great trip” and stated that the youngster would “definitely” get more time.

Things didn’t start out well.

Strangely enough, the G League affiliate of the Warriors was playing the Memphis Hustle the night before the NBA team’s next-night matchup with the Grizzlies took place across the Mississippi River. Kuminga and Moses Moody were able to complete another G League run without having to give up their availability to play for the NBA team on its own trip to Memphis.

Additionally, it provided Steve Kerr with a unique chance to follow the Sea Dubs and witness his rookie play extended minutes. Before the game, he and a few allies played cornhole beneath the hoop; Jacob Rubin and Khalid Robinson defeated Kerr and Ryan Atkinson. However, when he looked up to watch Kuminga play, he wasn’t impressed.

Almost resigned to be there, Kuminga did not appear to be following the counsel that Kerr and his team had attempted to drive home: full speed, always. In the end, he scored nine points, committed five turnovers, and learned a valuable lesson for the remainder of the road trip.

Kerr stated, “He didn’t run the floor.” It was unsatisfactory. We had a conversation with him about it, and he answered pretty well and understood.

That game served as a reminder.

The morning before their last game of the tour, inside Minnesota’s Target Center, Kerr sat down close to the floor, Kuminga to his left, and opened a laptop.

They looked at plays when Kuminga could have hustled more, specific instances where he could have made the difference between a basket and a turnover, a block or a bucket by rushing at full speed.

Kuminga remarked, “He pretty much stayed on top of me telling me to keep running.” “We looked at some plays where he told me I could run faster or be more aggressive,” the player said.

It was difficult to find a play that Kuminga took off in the 33 minutes that night, which was more than all prior games combined. By the previous game, though, which Kerr referred to as the best of his short career, he had obviously learnt his lesson.

With 25 points, three assists, three rebounds, a steal, and three blocks—the last of which had him unexpectedly jumping high over the rim and warning Devon Dotson, “not tonight,”—Kuminga stole the show in a 42-point victory over the Bulls.

Looking back on the trip, Kuminga remarked, “I feel like it’s not me taking a step forward, it’s just part of the growth.” “I wasn’t just going to do what I’m doing now and come out in the league after my first or second game.”

Kuminga made 12 shots against Chicago, only missing two of them (3-pointers), and he drove to the rim with abandon. He was literally unstoppable as he glided through the lane thanks to his combination of strength, speed, and agility. His four dunks rattled the rim and put the glass on the backboard to the test.

According to Jordan Poole, not a single one even approached a perfect 10. You see, Poole asks Kuminga to rank his own slams on a scale of 1 to 10, demonstrating how impressed he is with the rookie’s flying abilities.

Poole remarked, “He hasn’t even come close to a 10 on any of his dunks.” Thus, keep a watch on things.

For a young player, making decisions quickly like dribbling, driving, passing, or shooting is the next logical stage in their development. It was dubbed “point-five basketball” by Kerr. Put otherwise, that decision needs to be taken in thirty seconds or less.

All rookies have to adjust to playing at an NBA speed, and this serves as a reminder of why Kuminga hadn’t yet broken into the Warriors’ starting lineup despite his obvious skill. After Green returns, future stays in Santa Cruz are still possible, despite the advances made during this most recent trip.

There’s no question in my mind that he can contribute to our victory. However, progress isn’t linear, as we also know,” Kerr added. We are attempting to impart to JK the importance of each and every day as well as the process. It matters every time we play him in Santa Cruz, during practice, or in a 3-on-3 match.