There was good news for the Golden State Warriors even prior to Sunday's 126-102 win over the Dallas Mavericks, with Steve Kerr confirming that injured forward Jonathan Kuminga returned to scrimmaging on Saturday in what's a major step in his recovery process.
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Sunday's win was the 23rd-straight game Kuminga has missed through injury, having sustained a nasty ankle sprain against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 4 at Chase Center.
Jonathan Kuminga is nearing a return for the Warriors
Kuminga's return is highly-anticipated among the fanbase, and even more so given the team's recent good form following the acquisition of Jimmy Butler. Golden State have won five of their six games with Butler, including two blowout victories over Western Conference rivals following the All-Star break.
Kuminga is still expected to miss the next two games, but his participation on Saturday was labelled by Kerr as "a huge step" as the former seventh overall pick recovers from the first real significant injury of his career.
The Warriors will play the Charlotte Hornets at Chase Center on Tuesday, before embarking on a five-game road-trip that starts with the Orlando Magic at Kia Center on Thursday. Kuminga is expected to return at some point on the road-trip, with Golden State also set to visit Philadelphia, Charlotte, New York and Brooklyn.
Kuminga's fit with Butler is of fascination to a lot of fans, particularly given their similar skillset as mid-range and interior scorers who can relentlessly get to the free-throw line. “I’m confident that JK will figure that out. Jimmy will figure that out,” Kerr recently told reporters.
Butler's arrival has helped a number of players individually, including young pair Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody who have each solidified starting roles and been excellent in Golden State's 5-1 run over the last six games.
That in itself should breathe optimism into Butler also delivering significant impact on Kuminga upon his return, with the talented forward sure to add another exciting element to a team that's already in the process of reviving their season.
Kuminga was rising to stardom prior to his injury, having averaged 24.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.2 steals on 52.7% shooting from the floor in the previous six games. With the Warriors all of a sudden reappearing as a team who could make some noise this season, Kuminga remains a significant x-factor that will play a large role in their short and long-term aspirations.
