Dub Hub: Steve Kerr wants to keep playing Gui Santos when Jonathan Kuminga returns
03/10/2025 05:25 PM
Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Monday, March 10th.
In today's Dub Hub:
- Steve Kerr wants to keep playing Gui Santos as Jonathan Kuminga comes closer to making a return from an ankle injury.
- Steph Curry accepts role as assistant general manager of basketball programs at Davidson College.
- Kawhi Leonard hits OT game winner to give Clippers 111-110 victory against the Kings.
The Golden State Warriors secured a 115-110 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, led by Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, who combined for 58 points. But it was Gui Santos' energy off the bench that gave the Warriors a crucial boost.
Santos delivered 15 points, six rebounds, and a highlight-reel block on Pistons center Jalen Duren, making a strong case for his continued role in the rotation.
With Jonathan Kuminga nearing a return from an ankle sprain suffered in January, Santos' minutes seemed uncertain. However, after the game, head coach Steve Kerr made it clear he wants to keep Santos in the rotation.
"It's a difficult thing when you're playing really well and then you have a key guy coming back," Kerr said about Kuminga's return following Saturday's game. "It's always tough. I think the idea is just to bring him along slowly, play him in short bursts, and help him get his rhythm back. But we've got to keep playing Gui Santos. We've got to keep playing the guys who are helping us win right now."
Kuminga has been a key piece for Golden State this season, and his return will add another layer to the team's frontcourt depth. But with Santos proving his value, Kerr faces an interesting dilemma—finding a way to reintegrate Kuminga without disrupting the success the Warriors have found with their current rotation.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Monday, March 10th:
Warriors News:
Why Santos' rise should earn him Warriors playoff rotation spot | NBC Sports Bay Area
And he also reminds Curry of another former Warriors fan-favorite whose heart and hustle was impossible to not appreciate: Juan Toscano-Anderson.
"He's got a little Juan T in him," Curry said. "He seems very comfortable out there, the more reps he gets. You can see the passion too, how much it mattered. That And-1, his reaction was everything. He's in the game, you know you're going to feel his presence."
TJD shines in impromptu Santa Cruz Warriors G League stint | NBC Sports Bay Area
After scoring two points in the first quarter, Jackson-Davis turned the volume up on his aggression, finishing the Sea Dubs' 118-107 win against the Mexico City Capitanes with 22 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. His plus-26 in 35 minutes was a game-high, emphasizing what kind of impact Jackson-Davis had on Santa Cruz snapping its five-game losing streak.
"I thought I played well," Jackson-Davis said. "Missed some free throws. I just have to continue to work on that. But just getting my wind back. I kind of let the game come to me, especially in the first quarter kind of getting used to everything. I haven't played in a while.
"It's been like three weeks since I got significant playing time, so just trying to get my legs back under me and then taking advantage of the opportunity."
Why Stephen Curry's 4,000th 3 will be merely a stepping stone | ESPN
Curry became the first player to reach 3,000 and now 4,000 3s. Why not 5,000? That's tougher but eminently doable, as the model gives Curry a 39% shot to reach 5,000 career 3s. He even has a 6% chance to reach 5,533 career triples — as many as Allen and Miller combined.
Overall, the model estimates that Curry will retire with 4,893 total 3s. But that's only the average projected outcome, which means there's a 50% chance he exceeds that already lofty total. After all, LeBron James is presently defying all conceivable aging curves, and Curry could fit a similar profile.
Draymond Green is back to being the Warriors' center of attention | The Athletic
"I think it's more mental than anything," Green said. "I feel very confident that most centers in the NBA, I can outthink. Maybe not Joker. Just trying to always be a step ahead. Trying to be decisive. Put them in positions where they have to make decisions."
"And," Green said with a calmness that belied his energy, "I'm not gonna ever back down from anybody."
Steph Curry accepts role as Davidson College's assistant general manager for basketball programs
NBA News:
Sources - Lakers' LeBron James expected to miss at least 1-2 weeks | ESPN
James will wait for the groin injury to calm down Sunday and receive another evaluation, sources told ESPN, but the Lakers are braced to be without him for a period of time and will be cautious as they hold the third seed in the Western Conference.
James exited Saturday's loss to the Boston Celtics with with 6:44 remaining in the fourth quarter and did not return.
Well-balanced Cavaliers barely need MVP candidate Donovan Mitchell in 14th straight win | The Athletic
On Sunday's jog, Atkinson mulled the evening's chief defensive problem: How does one try to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo? "I was thinking, we have multiple guys, which is huge," he said. What Atkinson ended up doing Sunday night, he would later say never crossed his mind on the run. It just sort of … happened.
In Cleveland's 112-100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, the Cavs' 14th in a row, Atkinson twice used the unusual lineup of Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, Max Strus and Jarrett Allen against Giannis, including to close the fourth quarter. It was, arguably, the strangest closing lineup of any good Cavaliers team in history. If this were hockey, you'd call it the Cavs' "checking" lineup — out there to bang a couple of Bucks against the boards, but otherwise, goals might be tough to come by.
Kawhi Leonard hits overtime game-winner vs. the Kings
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
How Dennis Schröder's knowledge of a Warriors play allowed Draymond Green to stick his 'Fist Out'
The danger of facing someone like Schröder not long after trading him is that he is still quite aware of his previous team's playbook. "Ram Exit" isn't a difficult play to remember, nor is it hard to make out Kerr holding his fist out and immediately knowing what happens next. This isn't a phenomenon exclusive to the Warriors — most teams know each other's plays and take measures to stop them, both on the fly and in pre-game planning. Execution, however, is easier said than done, despite any sort of institutional knowledge that should help.
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