Preview: Will Kuminga get on the court docket vs Timberwolves Friday?
Pop quiz, Dub Nation. Who led the Warriors in scoring throughout final 12 months’s Western Convention Semifinals towards Minnesota?
If you happen to guessed Jimmy Butler, you’d be improper. The precise reply? Jonathan Kuminga, who averaged 20.8 factors per sport throughout the 5 playoff contests, combating to hold Golden State’s offense after Steph Curry limped off with a hamstring harm in Sport 1.
Right here’s the merciless twist: Kuminga won’t even play Friday evening.
Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
When: December twelfth, 2025 | 7:00 PM PT
TV: NBA TV, NBC Sports activities Bay Space
Radio: 95.7 The Sport
Let’s rewind to final spring, as a result of the context issues. The Warriors gained the battle of Sport 1 nevertheless it price them the warfare as Curry’s leg gave out from breaking his foot off within the #2 seeded Houston Rockets the spherical earlier than. Every thing collapsed. Golden State limped by 4 straight losses watching Butler, Kuminga and a set of position gamers attempt to manufacture offense with out their gravitational heart. Minnesota gained 4-1, leaving a bitter style within the mouth of Dub Nation followers who have been fascinated about a deeper playoff run after upsetting Houston.
Quick ahead to December and Kuminga? He received a DNP-CD towards Chicago on Sunday. Steve Kerr admitted Wednesday that “no person is aware of what’s going to occur with JK,” which is a heckuva factor to say concerning the former #7 general decide. His position is as soon as once more in query regardless of signing a two-year, $48.5 million deal this offseason after a protracted contract standoff.
Take into consideration that trajectory. Kuminga went from main the Warriors in playoff scoring for his or her ultimate sequence of the season to getting benched for efficiency points in six months. The Dubs are 13-12 and dealing to search out consistency, maturity, and understanding the right way to weaponize their strengths inside a championship ecosystem. Add some well being to that record as Curry returns again from a 5 sport absence with a thigh contusion.
Minnesota involves Chase Heart at 15-9, nonetheless stinging from that embarrassing dwelling loss to a depleted Phoenix squad. In the event that they lose to the Dubs Friday, there’s some lovely irony Minnesota has to swallow. The previous disgruntled Timberwolf Butler arrived in Golden State from Miami by way of the Andrew Wiggins commerce tree, a transaction that started when Minnesota dumped Wiggins to Golden State in 2020. Kuminga got here to the Warriors by way of the decide Minnesota included in that very same deal. The Wolves basically gift-wrapped two items of Golden State’s current after Wiggins helped the Dubs win their fourth title of the Curry period.
Now they stroll into Chase Heart making an attempt to ship a message that they’re achieved being a trivia query about who handed on Curry twice within the NBA draft.
