Warriors still have one frustrating player that could make or break their season

In many ways Wednesday's meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder provided an encapsulation of Jonathan Kuminga's career with the Golden State Warriors.

Returning from a two-game absence due to illness, it was a mixed bag for Kuminga who got the start as Steve Kerr hunted for more offense without superstar guard Stephen Curry. It was a poor first five and a half minute stint for Kuminga who went 0-of-4 from the floor, with three shot attempts coming from 3-point range while also also getting stripped and turning the ball over on a drive.

Jonathan Kuminga continues to be the Warriors' biggest enigma

The young forward's four and a half minute stint in the fourth-quarter wasn't ideal either, having missed all four shot attempts including a couple at the rim that he would certainly have expected to make. Kuminga, Wiggins and Draymond Green went a combined 1-of-13 in the final period, with the lackluster offense causing a 105-101 defeat to the Western Conference leaders.

Yet the primary reason Golden State got themselves back in the game in the first place was because of Kuminga's production in the second and third periods. The 22-year-old had 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the second-quarter, including a pair of threes and a vicious one-hand slam that delivered the Warriors some momentum heading into half-time.

Kuminga built on that in the third, going 4-of-8 from the floor for nine points to go with three rebounds, two assists and a steal. The former seventh overall pick played all but one second of the quarter, finishing as a +11 as the Warriors cut the margin to one entering the final period.

Finishing with 19 points on 21 shots, the box score doesn't read overly well for Kuminga who was inefficient. However, anyone who watched the game would know that Golden State don't get back in the game without him as their primary scoring option.

If you watched the first-quarter in particular, you'd be completely out on Kuminga as a key part of the Warriors future. Yet if you watched the following two periods, you'd understand the vision of him as a future star and potential 25-point per game player.

That's the frustration for fans. Kuminga's in his fourth-year but it's still too much 'what if' and not enough present substance. There are flashes that give hope of who he could become in time, but that next step of becoming a certified starter playing 30+ minutes has so far alluded him.

This isn't a new conversation, it's an old one that many will have grown tiresome of. Kuminga retains the potential of making or breaking the Warriors season, yet there's also a possibility his career with the franchise results in a rather tame ending.