Warriors' Kuminga Says 'A Lot of' Players Would 'Quit Basketball' If in His Situation

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has seen his role changed multiple times this season, and he opened up about some of the difficulties in navigating that after Monday's 111-105 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

"Sometimes I start, sometimes I don't start," Kuminga said, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "Don't really affect me. [At] this point in my career, I can't put my head down and not go out there and play hard or try to be effective. I just go out there and do my job because I can't even worry about things like that. The more you worry about things like that, the more you fail.

"I'm used to it. From where I come from, you always got to be mentally tough. A lot of people that are playing ... if they were in my shoes, they'll quit basketball. They'll need a therapist. They'll go through a lot of mental situations. But that thing don't affect me. As long as I go out here every day and just play, be with my teammates, [they] keep encouraging me to be who I am every day."

As Youngmisuk explained, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr moved Kuminga into the starting lineup just over two weeks ago in an effort to maximize the 22-year-old's potential. However, Kerr changed his mind after Kuminga started six games and moved the forward back to the bench for the last three games.

He struggled in his first two games coming off the bench after his return to the role and went a combined 5-of-23 from the field in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves and loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Kuminga also turned heads with a cryptic Instagram post with the caption "✌️✌️✌️."

However, he bounced back in Monday's loss with 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists on 9-of-16 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 shooting from deep.

"This is the JK we want," Kerr said. "Spent a lot of time in the paint, took care of the ball. Had a couple really nice passes. Found Buddy [Hield] for 3 on a beautiful play and really attacked. So this is a great example of how JK needs to play. I'm really proud of him for coming out, playing that way. ... He's getting better, and it's fun to watch his development."

Kuminga has appeared in 26 games this season with 10 starts, and his recent inconsistency reflects the team as a whole.

Golden State started 12-3 and appeared to be one of the top contenders in the Western Conference, but it is just 3-10 in the last 13 games and 15-13 overall.

While Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are the veteran leaders with championship experience, the Warriors will need the role players to play at a more consistent rate if they are going to compete in a daunting Western Conference.

That means Kuminga will be expected to navigate an ever-changing role, and his comments suggested he is accustomed to it and more than capable of doing so.