Jonathan Kuminga began the season as a small forward in the Golden State Warriors starting lineup. He was flanked by Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis. However, after struggling to produce on offense for the opening three games,

Jonathan Kuminga came off the bench to help Steve Kerr's team secure the win. His athleticism and explosivness helped match the Rockets' physical approach to the game. Furthermore, Kuminga was a catalyst for the Warriors during their overtime stretch run.

Kerr didn’t explain his decision before the game because he declined to share his starting lineup with the media. After the win, in which his lineup patterns worked, he said bringing Kuminga off the bench was matchup-based.

Draymond Green shares his honest thoughts on Jonathan Kuminga's bench role after the Warriors' third straight win.

Still lost amid widespread handwringing on Jonathan Kuminga’s shift to the bench is the specific context that prompted it. The Golden State Warriors’ new-look starters weren’t setting the league ablaze before Steph Curry twice tweaked his left ankle during his 5-1 team’s lone loss of the regular season’s early going,