BREAKING: Warriors have a Jonathan Kuminga problem that could get very awkward

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JK needs to figure it out…

Jonathan Kuminga had it rolling in his return to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night, pouring in 18 points in only 20 minutes during a dominant blowout victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Yet Kuminga has found it far more difficult in the three games since, showcasing much of the rustiness that was initially expected following a lengthy 31-game absence due to a severe ankle sprain.

The Jonathan Kuminga situation could get awkward during the postseason

Tuesday’s performance against the Milwaukee Bucks was particularly disappointing for Kuminga, even despite Golden State’s impressive 104-93 victory. The young forward was aggressive but inefficient in his 27 minutes off the bench, regularly failing to capitalize on opportunities at the rim as he finished with 10 points on 2-of-10 shooting from the floor.

Kuminga also had two turnovers and was a team-worst -11, with the 22-year-old not re-entering the game over the final four minutes. The frustration was palpable for the former seventh overall pick who committed a flagrant one foul late in the third-quarter, and might have been fortunate that it wasn’t anything more.

Even following the win, Kuminga’s performance was still a huge talking point among fans and analysts. That’s only been exacerbated by the fact the Warriors are set to have full availability on Thursday against the Toronto Raptors, meaning it’s well and truly time for the rotation to be tightened ahead of the postseason.

Golden State are going to reach a very awkward situation if we reach the postseason and Kuminga is simply a bit-part player off the bench. This is someone many envision averaging over 30 minutes per game, developing into a star, and subsequently earning a $30+ million per year deal as a restricted free agent.

Kuminga most certainly believes that of himself, and therefore how he balances his individual aspirations with that of the team is going to be an ongoing storyline. Needless to say that it’s practically impossible to see the Warriors giving Kuminga the sort of deal he wants unless he’s playing a major role in the playoffs. It could certainly emanate into an unwanted distraction to a Golden State team that’s otherwise firing on all cylinders right now.

Despite all the criticism, it’s fair to acknowledge that Kuminga does deserve some time to re-integrate and find full fitness before sweeping statements are made. Tuesday’s performance was certainly disappointing, but it shouldn’t be totally unexpected after such a long absence.