2024-04-01 12:29:22
After being suspended for the second time this season, Draymond Green was temporarily away from the Golden State Warriors’ practice facilities and spent time at home in Los Angeles participating in psychological counseling and online meetings to work out the conditions for his return.
Green missed 16 games after punching Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face during the Warriors’ loss on Dec. 13. During the nearly four weeks, Green stayed in contact with teammates Stephen Curry and Chris Paul and Warriors coach Steve Kerr. And he receives messages every day from Tom Izzo, coach of his alma mater, Michigan State University.
另一方面， 34 歲的Green 也常聯絡替代他先發的21 歲前鋒Jonathan Kuminga，在Green 禁賽期間幾乎每場比賽後都會傳訊息給Kuminga，包括筆記、比賽片段的影片以及關於Kuminga 表現的語音message.
Kuminga told ESPN: “He’s watching games at home on film, and that’s a testament to the value of having a future Hall of Famer and a team that’s going to be relying on him in the run-up to the playoffs, which will most likely start with the Western Conference playoffs.” For a team with young forwards, the conversation between Green and Kuminga is precious.
“I want to learn everything he knows,” Kuminga said. “With him, if you don’t compete as hard as you can, he won’t just give up (giving advice).”
Their relationship had its twists and turns before it got to this point. Kuminga’s performance as a substitute early in the season was inconsistent, and Green’s disorganized behavior on the court didn’t help matters.
In a loss to the Timberwolves on November 14, Green was suspended for five games for choking Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert. Kuminga started in his place in the next game, a loss to the Thunder on November 16. He scored a season-best performance of 21 points.
But this performance did not last long, as Warriors head coach Steve Kerr chose to start Paul and form a three-guard lineup with Curry and Klay Thompson. In the next four games, Kuminga returned to the bench.
Green was suspended for hitting Nurkic in just six games after returning from the Gobert chokehold incident. This was a turning point for the 6-foot-7 Kuminga – he averaged 100 points per game in the 16 games without Green. His performance of 18.4 points solidified his spot in the starting lineup.
However, the Warriors’ defense ranked 28th in the league at the time. They won five consecutive games in mid-December but lost seven of the next 10 games. When Green returned to the team on January 15 and the team’s winning percentage fell below 50% again, Kerr chose to start Green and Kuminga at the same time.
This has helped them establish an effective partnership on the court – the Warriors have a record of 17 wins and 8 losses this season when both are starting. On the offensive end, Kuminga’s shooting rate is as high as 73% when he directly receives passes from Green. The second-highest number between two teammates in the league.
Photo credit: Getty Images
They also have the highest defensive efficiency of any duo in the Western Conference that has played together for more than 500 minutes, according to Second Spectrum.
The Warriors haven’t finished higher than ninth in the Western Conference since mid-November and are competing with the Lakers for the final two spots. But with less than a month left in the playoffs, the Warriors are banking on the growing connection between Kuminga and Green.
Kuminga had a close bond with Green before he was selected by the Warriors with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft.
“He was one of the reasons I came here,” Kuminga said. “Before they drafted me, he called (former Warriors general manager) Bob (Myers) and told him to bring me to the Warriors. I feel like that’s what happened in my life. One of the most important things that ever happened.”
Green’s former teammate Jarrett Jack was the first person to call Green’s attention to Kuminga. He played in the NBA for 13 seasons, including the 2012-13 season with the Warriors, and coached Green as a rookie. He later played with Kuminga on the NBA. G League Ignite team and ends his career in 2021.
The biggest doubt Kuminga faced during the draft process was that he needed more time to develop, but this was not important to Green. He often participated in the Warriors’ draft meetings and training of potential players, and sent messages to Myers urging him to choose. Kuminga.
Green said of Kuminga: “You know he’s got talent, he’s only got a few years, and for me to have Jarrett Jack tell me he’s good is huge.”
However, Kuminga didn’t initially accept Green’s coaching style – at least not enough for Green, who has long had a say in the Warriors.
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