Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr on Wednesday said rookie Jonathan Kuminga practiced with the team after recently experiencing a back injury.
Kuminga started in place of Andrew Wiggins for the second straight game on Monday against the Sacramento Kings but exited with 5:31 left in the first quarter. He was questionable to return with lower back tightness, but the seventh pick did not return.
Kerr did not have an update on the injury after that contest but said on Wednesday that Kuminga is doing fine and was a full participant in practice. He was seen afterward putting up shots with the rest of the roster, via Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Jonathan Kuminga among #Warriors players taking shots after practice. So his back tightness seems to have improved pic.twitter.com/y9RDaRQ8Jq
— Ron Kroichick (@ronkroichick) December 22, 2021
The Warriors opted to start Kuminga with Wiggins out of the lineup in an effort to get him playing time with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. He gives the team a dynamic playmaker on offense and a big body on the defensive end.
During his first start on Saturday, Kuminga produced a career-high 26 points to lead the Warriors in a loss to the Toronto Raptors. Kerr thought Kuminga played well in spurts during that contest but also had some rookie mistakes, which is part of the development process.
With Kuminga on the mend, it appears likely that he will start once again with Wiggins out of the lineup as the Warriors host the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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