The Golden State Warriors have been reaping the benefits of Jonathan Kuminga’s development, with the young forward delivering standout performances recently. However, to unlock Kuminga’s full potential, Draymond Green has had to play more minutes at center—a role he openly dislikes.
In their recent 109-105 win over the Phoenix Suns, Kuminga had a career-high 34 points, along with nine rebounds and three assists, showcasing the success of Green’s sacrifices for the team. The four-time NBA champion, spoke candidly about his feelings on playing center but emphasized his commitment to winning.
“We got to do what we got to do to win games, whatever that looks like,” Green told reporters, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “For me coming into the season, I’ll be honest—I didn’t want to play a ton of 5. It’s hard. And [me not playing the 5] was working. We were 12-3 or whatever we were, and it was working.”
“But [when] it’s not working, you have to look at what works. And if that’s me at the 5, like I said, I don’t love it for entire games at this point,” he added. “But I love to win, and more importantly, I hate to lose. So if that’s what it looks like, that’s what it looks like. We got to win games, or I told the guys we’re all going to get traded out of here, so we better win some games.”
Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors goes up for a dunk on Tyus Jones #21 and Bradley Beal #3 of the Phoenix Suns in the first half at Chase Center. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Green’s high praise for Kuminga
Green has been vocal about his admiration for Jonathan Kuminga, even calling himself a fan of the young forward. After the Warriors‘ win, he didn’t hold back his praise for the 22-year-old.
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“One of the most talented guys on this team by far,” Green said of Kuminga. “It’s good to see him playing the way he’s playing. And we just need him to stay that aggressive. When he’s on the court, we’re going to feature him. It’s on him to do the rest. And he’s doing it. He’s more than capable. And he’ll continue to get better and continue to do more.”
Green makes Warriors history
While much of Draymond Green’s game revolves around his defensive prowess and playmaking, the veteran added a historical milestone in the win over Phoenix. By hitting three three-pointers in the game, Green became one of the Warriors’ all-time leaders in three-point shooting.
With 702 career three-pointers, Green surpassed Jason Richardson to claim third place on Golden State’s franchise leaderboard. Ahead of him are none other than the Splash Brothers, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, holding the second and first spots, respectively.
