Stephen Curry Finds a New Partner in Crime Amid Klay Thompson’s Struggle

The Golden State Warriors were plummeting to the bottom. Stephen Curry was the only sign of hope. Alone, he did his part, but it was overbearing for the great man. He needed some assistance. Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins had both failed to do so. Just when the Warriors were about to be squashed, a hero emerged in the form of young Jonathan Kuminga.

The 21-year-old has been phenomenal as a stretch four for the Bay. Despite the distrust shown in him or having to scrap for opportunities at times, Kuminga persevered. Now, he stands beside Curry as the second-best scorer for the Dubs. He is on a steaming streak of getting buckets. In tonight’s win over the Brooklyn Nets, Kuminga scored 28 and grabbed 10 rebounds, his ninth 20+ point game in his last 10. Curry was also sublime in the clutch and put the game away with his graceful scoring.

The tandem has really reshaped the Warriors and provided a blueprint for at least the coming few years. Kuminga fits the mold of being the right-hand man to the greatest shooter of all time.

Kuminga is taking over from Klay Thompson

At his absolute peak, Klay Thompson was a fellow “Splash Brother.” He was a three-point wrecking man who was scoring 60 with less than 10 dribbles. Sadly, recurring injuries derailed his career. After making a strong comeback and even winning a chip, Thompson’s days seem numbered. He is visibly slow, not as fiery and his shooting is depleting quickly.

Over the last three games, he has only made 4 of his 25 three-point attempts. In only three of his last 10, he shot over 40% from range. Tonight, his gradual demotion saw a new event – him being benched in the clutch.

Even Klay has come to terms with his new position. He knows he isn’t “one of the best players” anymore. But like a true gentleman and an ally for Golden State, he adjusted without any resistance.

“You can be mad, but I’m not gonna be mad. I’m happy for these young guys. We won. It’s hard to get wins in this league,” said the second splash brother.

Replacing the former three-point marksman is Jonathan Kuminga. Reports suggested a sour link with Steve Kerr. He has supposedly lost faith in the HC. The reliability of the news can be questioned, but if it were ever true, Kerr is swallowing up any hesitation he has had.

The 6’8″ forward has shown improvements in shooting, offensive awareness, and finishing around the rim. In the restricted area, he is shooting a highly efficient 75%. At one point, he had scored over 20 in eight straight games. In that stretch, he shot the ball with better than 5% efficiency. It made him only the 9th player in Warriors history to do so.

Kuminga is the only player besides Stephen Curry to score over 25 points in a game in that given period too. A slasher with no remorse, the forward has collected some mean dunks on his way to being promoted as the second option on the Warriors.

His incredible rise came at the right time, a period where the Warriors had to capitalize on their anchor’s hot streak.

Stephen Curry is a freak

Stephen Curry is enjoying a fine campaign for an NBA superstar. For someone 6’3″, Curry’s impact goes beyond the charts. Having assumed the truckload of the scoring responsibilities for most of the season, the Baby Face Assassin has unlocked his most ruthless form. In the clutch especially, he is statistically one of the best players in the league. His 5.1 points are the highest in the clutch this season. All while being 78th in clutch minutes played.

His 28.1 points per game is the 7th highest scoring average this season. The increment in his responsibilities has given him an outlet to really let loose. Playing on a completely different stratosphere, Curry’s brilliance was going to waste.

Despite his herculean production, the Warriors were lacking. Although he makes for a decent floor-stretching guard, Thompson’s scoring slump is growing, and is certainly isn’t the man to look for anymore. Alternatively, Andrew Wiggins’s inconsistencies have eradicated that avenue as well.

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For half a season, the search was on. In the end, it ended up being the youngster who was patiently waiting for his chance, Kuminga.

Stephen Curry and Kuminga – the new duo in the Bay?

Curry and his 21-year-old teammate’s dynamic fits the Warriors offense perfectly. The major attention is pressed on Curry, opening up room on the inside. Kuminga is proficient in scoring within the paint. He is rapid and ruthless, a stunning combination for a slashing forward. When he gets hot, the perimeter slowly starts to open – perfect for a Curry lesson.

Over their past 10 games, the duo is averaging nearly 55 points per game. It ranks amongst the top three-scoring duos in the league. Before the game against the Hawks, each of the two had scored 20+ in six straight games, a feat only Curry and Kevin Durant achieved for the Warriors previously.

The Warriors themselves have been better with the duo flourishing. Since the Western (Pacific) franchise resumed playing, they have a 4-3 record. All three of those losses were under 10 points, two being one-point losses.

None of this would be possible if Jonathan Kuminga didn’t burst out.

The explosive forward has managed to turn his doubters into believers. Kerr, in particular, heaped major praise on his head after their win against the Grizzlies earlier in the week.

“JK has really figured it out,” he said. “He’s so powerful and explosive going to the rim, and I think he just sees the floor better than ever. This past month, I think he’s just really broken through, and it’s been amazing to watch. Two and a half years of a lot of work, ups and downs, and he’s stayed with it the whole time. I’m so impressed with what he’s done. He’s becoming a hell of a player,”.

Safe to say, the faith has been restored again. In fact, Kerr might be viewing Kuminga to be a focal point in this veteran side who are trying to march back into postseason contention.

The road is still a long one. The Golden State Warriors are still only the 12th seed in the West. But they haven’t had such an uplooking stretch of basketball this season. Games are going down to the wire signifying that they are doing something right. Kuminga is giving the team a chance to compete. Stephen Curry is going berserk at the age of 35. They are the two pillars of the Warriors.

If Kuminga can continue his dream run and Curry embraces his ‘cold’ demeanor, the Warriors might just ascend into competitor talks once again. It’s too soon to be decisive, but the tandem is making it difficult not to dream for the Dub Nation.

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