We are at the business end of the regular season with just one game to go, and the Wild West still lives up to its name. There are still 3 playoff spots and 1 play-in spot to play for, with the showdown happening tonight as 8 games take place simultaneously. One of them is at the Chase Center, with the Warriors and Clippers battling it out for the 5th and 6th seeds. The worry is more for Kerr as they would wish to escape the play-ins, but losing against the Clippers would make them a good contender for the 7th spot against their current 6th. With the Clippers coming into the game in red-hot form, Steve Kerr will be looking to their veteran point-getters to get the job done. Unfortunately for him, the veteran might not even step onto the pitch. But never give up, unless they start, as Stephen Curry remains questionable for the game tonight.

The Warriors are clear with their intentions, which is why they blew away the Blazers last night, winning 103-86 at the Moda Center. Curry returned to the game after a brief absence due to a right thumb sprain in the first quarter and scored 14 points to help his team win. “It hurts right now, but I’ll be alright,” said Curry in the post-game. A huge sigh of relief was heard all around San Fran immediately. And this was aided by Anthony Slater’s update on his injury: “Steph Curry said the thumb injury impacted his shooting ‘a little bit’ because it was ‘fresh pain’ but doesn’t think it’ll ‘last too long’… He said he will play on Sunday.”

But the injury couldn’t come at a worse time for the Dub Nation. Can you imagine the consequences? They’re still not confirmed to have a playoff spot as of yet. A loss tonight could see them drop to 7th, with the Timberwolves playing bottom-of-the-table Jazz to finish the season. Big moments call for the biggest of men, and we all know even a 6’3 Stephen Curry can make the Burj Khalifa of men look tiny when the time calls for it. But due to his thumb injury, he might not even get the call-up from Steve Kerr tonight.

It goes without saying, but the Golden State needs Curry’s golden touch against the Lob City. Their resurgence since signing Jimmy Butler will mean less if they can’t make it to the playoffs with their star-studded lineup. Their reliance on a 37-year-old Steph has evidently taken its toll on him. So what does that call for? The young Warriors are to make a name for themselves. We’ve already seen the likes of Quinten Post and Brandin Podziemski take their chances in full stride. But the same can’t be said about Congolese forward Jonathan Kuminga. And Steve Kerr knows it.

Steve Kerr accepts Jonathan Kuminga’s dying fate in Warriors squad amid Curry worry

You know what they say about milking a dead cow, right? Well, delaying the acceptance of Jonathan Kuminga’s prevailing problem will prove to be just that. So Steve Kerr has decided to call it how he sees it. Kerr made his weekly call-in appearance with Warriors’ flagship station 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs” afternoon show on Thursday. This was after their surprising 114-111 loss to the Spurs, so you just knew it was gonna be a spicy one. And the Warriors HC delivered on that promise.

Kerr fired shots at multiple players. As expected. He knows this season hasn’t been up to their usual golden standards. And the incessant persistence of “mixing and matching” hasn’t worked out. And among all the names, there was one common appearance- Jonathan Kuminga.

“But the lineup with Jimmy, Jonathan and Draymond [Green] doesn’t fit real well, frankly,” Kerr said. “It just doesn’t. We need more spacing. We’ve found other lineups that have clicked, and this is just part of the deal, being in the NBA, and you’ve got to adapt to whatever’s happening with the team.”

There’s no point in denying it anymore- JK at the Bay Area hasn’t worked out. The call gained more steam as Evan Agiddings via Warriors This Week said, “Steve Kerr is preparing us… that come postseason time, do not expect Jonathan Kuminga’s role to grow. It doesn’t mean he’ll be phased out completely, but time is up to figure it out.” No matter what his expectations and predictions were, eyeing a reprieve can only end one way. There’s just a game to go in the regular season. And before the playoffs kick off, Steve Kerr has one message for the Dub Nation- don’t expect Jonathan Kuminga’s role to grow in the squad.

The hopes are for Stephen Curry to return for the game tonight. A win would mean Lakers vs Warriors showdown in the first round of the playoffs, so the whole of the NBA will be a Golden State rep tonight. Well, other than one half of Los Angeles. But regardless of his situation, the benefactor list won’t include Jonathan Kuminga’s name. Can we see a departure on the cards? Time will tell.