draymond green used to be on the edge NBA rotate. He played his 1st, 2nd, 5th, 4th and 8th minutes in his first five games of his career. As a rookie, his roles were regularly swapped. At times, Mark Jackson used him only as a single-handed defensive specialist.
“I had to be ready for a defensive stop,” said Green. “This is how I got to the floor. If I wanted a minute, I’d figure it out. I wanted a minute, so I had to figure it out. (There was) a game that didn’t play the whole game.” Yes, and then into the last 7 seconds of defense.
Green was referring to one particular game.of golden state warriors faced los angeles lakersLate Prime Kobe Bryant was flying it. That night he fired 41 shots. It was tied just before the end of regulation. The Warriors needed a stop to force overtime. Jackson called a cold Green off the bench and let him guard Kobe.
“As a young man in this league, I have to appreciate the opportunity,” Green said.
Here’s the grainy footage of Green stopping and the soundbite of him talking about it ten years later.
It’s not hard to see the difference between Draymond Green’s early and early career Jonathan KumingaGreen was a four-year college player who was the 35th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He well understood that his NBA survival was based on his ability to act instantly like a veteran and always be ready to help in the most subtle ways. Had Green not done so, he would have been kicked out of the league in no time.
Kuminga’s post-high school career consisted of 12 games in the G League bubble. He finished 7th in his 2021 draft and was a winger with a very favorable tool, but was only a novice in understanding the nuances required in high-level winning basketball. did. The theory of what he could become is so intriguing that he is given plenty of time to put it all together.
Yet there are important similarities in their separate situations. As a rookie, Greene finished as the sixth seed with the Warriors minutes on his side and he was ninth. Kuminga predicts he’ll finish around ninth in minutes, as the Warriors’ team intends to pursue at least his sixth seed at this point. Successful as his number 9 on his team in the playoffs requires constant energy and focus every time his number is called. Details matter.
That’s Kuminga’s challenge from this week. Warriors coach Steve Kerr has already announced it.Kuminga joins rotation Sacramento Kings Monday night, probably replaced James WisemanKuminga will stay there for the time being. His 18-point performance in his 18 minutes in New Orleans on Friday night cemented the spot he had probably already earned.
However, the responsibility for Kuminga’s work is new orleans pelicans It’s not the responsibility of his normal night job. He won’t even make his 38 minutes, maybe half that. His usage will drop. Less opportunities to do fun things (shoot, drive, explore) and more need to do hard things — know your scout report, don’t miss your rotation, screen hard, sprint across the floor, always lock. maintain. The second.
There are several reasons for Kuminga’s temporary disappearance from the rotation in the first few weeks.Top of the list: Motivation to play Carr Jamaican green Weisman’s overall prioritization. It caused a frontcourt traffic jam.
But Kuminga wasn’t exactly knocking down the door to launch his latest expedition. Two specific possessions speak for themselves.
first came in CharlotteAlthough Kuminga was not part of the staff’s initial script rotation, Wiseman fouled three times in the first four minutes, creating an opportunity for Kuminga to get a short run to close out the first quarter.
The franchise has come to believe that Kuminga has long-term potential to become an elite individual defender on the wing. Focused on specific matchups, he uses his size, speed, and competitive confidence to involve scorers.
But his mind can wander. This is Kuminga’s first defensive possession on the floor against Charlotte.he protects PJ Washington It’s in the corner, but doesn’t seem ready to get into the mix. The Hornets swing it into the corner. Kuminga’s legs are a little messy at the closeout. Washington was already on the rhythm, but he blew and bullied him for an And-1 layup.
The Warriors were in Detroit the next night. Klay Thompson I took a break and created a chance for Kuminga to run.They brought him in late in the first quarter to guard Bojan Bogdanovic — pistonSecond top scorer and one of the better shooters in the league, the type of wing that they believe Kuminga will be able to counter well in the years to come.
Bogdanovich is already warmed up. He scored his nine minutes and scored two his threes before Kuminga entered the game. The Pistons share the arena with the Red Wings. NHL buildings can be cold. But check out the beginning of the clip below. It’s slow motion. It’s Kuminga in the left corner, blowing into Bogdanovic’s hands while he cuts to the curling three.
Getting ready as a fringe rotation player in the NBA is a difficult and often unprecedented task.what’s this Damion Lee When Juan Toscano Anderson He had a really good run with the Warriors last season. They might miss a shot or commit a turnover, but they were always ready and in high spirits when they jumped off the bench. It’s a skill that takes time to master. That’s why Best Ninth He Man is often a mature veteran who later grew up playing basketball.
In Orlando, Kerr was asked about the general challenge of bringing in groups of young players.
“It’s very difficult,” Carr said. “In the current league, we’re doing the job college coaches did 20 years ago. Back then, a scout could watch a guy for three years. I’m telling you, they each had four years of college and there was a reason they were great once they got there their freshman year wasn’t that great By sophomore year, they started to improve, but they spent four years learning how to play, growing, maturing, learning their bodies, and gaining confidence. Without Knicks And Patrick Ewing, you go up against Canisius. Nothing against Canisius. ”
“But you get what I mean. If you’ve been in college for three or four years and he’s playing against a competitor, he could grow as his skills grow and As he grows, he will be ready to reach the league.What has changed is that he is now doing the work that college coaches were doing at the time.However, playing against inferior competitors will make the man There is no benefit that can boost the confidence of the guy.You are throwing him in the deep.For many of these guys it’s sink or swim.I blame who I got the money for. No, that’s a lot of money, if a player doesn’t play and gets injured and you’ve wasted $10 million or $15 million, how do you reconcile that? The current league and these guys coming in are not the ideal set-up for success.”
But that’s the Warriors’ setup, led to action by the front office attempting this ambitious two-timeline experiment. These are influences. Weisman and Kuminga might be better off getting 30 minutes and he 15 shots each night in a low stakes environment. this The Warriors’ version could probably use an extra veteran or two from the bench.
But that’s not the situation for either side. That’s the challenge that awaits Kuminga this week, stepping into the role of the ninth title contender.
(Photo by Jonathan Kuminga: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
