Minus-9 in a Statement Win: Can Jonathan Kuminga Still Be Saved?

It’s Game 1 of the second round. The Warriors went into Minnesota and walked away with a 99-88 victory over the Timberwolves—a result many expected, but not in the way it unfolded. Golden State dominated without Stephen Curry for most of the night, and while the team as a whole proved it could survive adversity, one name stood out for all the wrong reasons: Jonathan Kuminga.

Let’s rewind.

Curry went down in the second quarter after tweaking his hamstring. Before exiting, he pieced together a mini 5-0 run himself, pushing the Warriors ahead 30-20. At that point, it looked like the game might slip from their control. It didn’t. Instead, Golden State ballooned their lead to 23 points at one point and kept the Wolves at bay through disciplined defense, timely offense, and elite role-player production.

But for Kuminga, the night turned into a microcosm of everything that’s been troubling his postseason appearances. In a game the Warriors led comfortably for most of the second half, Kuminga posted a brutal -9 in just 13 minutes of play—a glaring stat line in an otherwise celebratory evening for Golden State.

The Timberwolves Brick the Game Away

To understand Kuminga’s impact, or lack thereof, we first need to understand the context. Minnesota was ice-cold. A single word could summarize their offense: bricks.

Coming off a Game 5 win over the Lakers in which they went 7-of-47 from three, the Wolves still managed to close out that series because of their 56 points in the paint and 71.8% shooting at the rim. But against the Warriors’ small-ball lineup—decidedly not the Lakers' leaky interior defense—those same looks didn’t drop. Minnesota shot just 53.1% inside the arc and a dismal 5-of-29 from deep, good for 17.2%. That’s now 12-of-76 from three over their last two games—15.8%, historically bad.

Only Naz Reid looked like himself, going 8-of-14 for 19 points. Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves’ crown jewel, had an inefficient 23 points on 22 shots. McDaniels, dominant against L.A., could only muster 12 points on 12 shots, missing all three from beyond the arc. Julius Randle shot 4-of-11, needed 10 free throws to get to 18 points, and Conley combined with Donte DiVincenzo to shoot 1-of-16 from the field. The Timberwolves’ floor fell out from under them, and Golden State was happy to take advantage.

Warriors Step Up Without Their Leader

Curry’s injury loomed over the rest of the game, but the Warriors responded with a gritty, team-first effort.

Buddy Hield, who was scoreless in the first half (0-of-7), exploded in the third quarter for 16 points, going 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from three. Every time the Wolves cut the lead to single digits in the fourth quarter, Hield hit a dagger triple. He finished with a game-high 24 points and was easily the game’s MVP.

Jimmy Butler was steady as ever—20 points, 11 boards, 8 assists, 2 steals, and just one turnover. But his rebounding was especially valuable: 7 of his 11 boards were on the offensive glass, helping the Warriors secure extra possessions and demoralize Minnesota’s defense.

Draymond Green was equally impressive. He scored 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting (4-of-10 from deep), added 6 assists, and once again anchored Golden State's defense. It was his second straight game with 15+ points in the postseason—the last time he did that was 2019, when he was 29. The “vintage Draymond” vibes were real.

But then came the outlier—Jonathan Kuminga.

Kuminga’s Case: A Dismal Night in a Dominant Win

On paper, Kuminga’s line doesn’t scream disaster: 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist on 2-of-5 shooting (including 1-of-1 from three). He had a high-flying putback dunk off a Draymond assist and even hustled for a loose ball late in the third. But basketball isn’t played on spreadsheets, and Kuminga’s impact—or lack thereof—was painfully visible.

Let’s start with the obvious. In 13 minutes, he posted a -9 plus-minus. In a game the Warriors won by 11, Kuminga was the only player who seemed to be actively bleeding momentum.

Part of it is circumstantial—he happened to be on the floor when the Wolves made their only real pushes. But the other part is fundamental. Kuminga had two costly turnovers, one of which led directly to a Timberwolves three-pointer. He committed two fouls, one of them sending Randle to the line for two easy points.

On defense, Kuminga’s reads were slow, his rotations late. One particularly bad sequence saw Mike Conley beat him off the dribble, and Kuminga hesitated just long enough on help coverage for Kerr to yank him and never look back. That was early in the fourth quarter. He didn’t return.

And that’s the problem.

A Troubling Trend

This wasn’t an isolated case. In the Warriors’ Game 7 win over Houston, Kuminga played just 7 minutes. He shot 0-of-4, scored zero points, and again had a negative plus-minus (-4), the only Warrior in the red that game.

Through four playoff games where he's seen real minutes, Kuminga is averaging:

• 15.8 minutes

• 6.3 points

• 1.5 rebounds

• 1.3 assists

• 32.1% FG

• 40.8% TS%

• Warriors’ offensive rating with Kuminga: 87.8

• Warriors’ offensive rating without him: 113.6

The on/off split is jarring. When Kuminga is on the floor, Golden State gets outscored by 23.7 points per 100 possessions. When he’s off, they outscore opponents by 4.9. That's not just bad—it's system-breaking.

A Fork in the Road

Curry's injury may sideline him for more than just one game. That opens the door for Kuminga. Or, more accurately, it flings it wide open. With offense at a premium, the Warriors need someone who can slash, finish, and at least keep defenses honest.

This could be Kuminga’s chance.

Not just to change the narrative, but to change his career trajectory.

Because here’s the brutal truth: If he can’t prove himself useful now—when the team desperately needs production and wings are in short supply—then when? Another dud over the next few games, and it’s hard to imagine Golden State not including him in offseason trade packages.

His postseason résumé is thin. His in-game awareness is still raw. The Warriors have championship aspirations, and those don’t leave much room for developmental minutes. Especially not in May.

Final Word

Jonathan Kuminga still has the tools. He’s got the body, the bounce, the potential. But right now, he's not part of the Warriors' winning formula. Game 1 showed that again, in glaring red font. The only question left is: how many more chances does he get to rewrite the narrative?

In the postseason, windows close fast. For Kuminga, the clock is ticking.

And there’s no time left for -9 nights.