Warriors center James Wiseman is back in the NBA and is eager to show what he learned during nearly three weeks in the G League, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. With Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins all missing tonight’s game at Utah, the team recalled Wiseman to have another player available.
“[Santa Cruz] was fun,” he said. “I’m a hooper. I got to play 25, 28 minutes. That was love right there. I was going out there, working hard, just trying to get better, had so much fun out there. Probably too much fun.”
Playing time has been an issue for Wiseman, who hasn’t made it through a full season since high school, Andrews notes. His college career lasted just three games, he tore his meniscus as a rookie and sat out all of last season with a variety of setbacks.
Wiseman said he focused on “improving in the small areas” during his G League stint. He averaged 15.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.14 blocks with Santa Cruz, and now he wants to take advantage of his next opportunity with the Warriors.
“I’m so much more grateful, more appreciative of this moment now to be able to be back up here,” Wiseman said. “I’m just grateful to be back playing at this level, also, being in a small hotel room the last two weeks not doing nothing, I’m just grateful to be back up here in a big-a– hotel again, be in a great bed again.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Wiggins’ adductor strain will keep him out at least through Saturday’s game with the Celtics, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. He will be reevaluated before the team leaves on a six-game road trip that starts Tuesday.
- Jonathan Kuminga is becoming comfortable with the Warriors’ style of play and is the best bet among the team’s young players to earn a significant rotation role, observes Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle. “His defense has really been excellent,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s guarding some of the tougher players for the opposing team, whether it’s a point guard or a wing. He’s got size (6-foot-7). He’s smart, he’s really starting to figure out how to defend without fouling, and try to bother those ballhandlers. He’s earning minutes, for sure.”
- Curry has been selected as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year, per C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle. Curry was recognized by the magazine in 2018 along with the rest of his teammates, but this is his first time winning the honor as an individual.
Wiseman finally figured it out. Play better or you have to stay a crummy hotel in G League cities, no nights at the 4 Seasaons
I said GSW should throw him in the deep end with a bunch of guys out give him a good 20-30 minutes and see how he goes. Instead what do they do, give him 5 minutes.
What are you supposed to do in 5 minutes??? And people blame him and question his ability and things. Y’all be quick to say in that 5 minutes he had a +/- of -3, if they played him longer blah blah blah. Klay Thompson had a +/- of -7 and played the second most minutes, took the most shots and was 32% from the field. Not o mention all 5 of Wiseman’s minutes came in the 2nd quarter and then when into half time leading. They lost the 3rd quarter 34-22, then needed a big 4th, were up by 4 with 12 seconds left and lost it. Completely not his fault at all that result and yes he should’ve got more minutes.
If I were him I’d definitely be considering a trade request. They have shown him very little faith and trust. As a young player your going to have bad games from time to time but you need the minutes on the floor to actually test yourself and improve. He needs to go somewhere where they actually value him, will give him minutes and let him make mistakes. Only in time will he get better.
I was confused with the 5 mins too. Considering Kumminga got 30 and I’m sure Lamb and Moody were pushing 20.
Arguably he deserves some more mins, they may have given up on him and are looking to shop him for a vet defensive big. The kid is 21, there won’t be a shortage of people willing to take a punt on his injury risk and buy low.
Still think it’s mismanagement by GSW. You’re already giving up 5th worst D in the league so it can’t hurt to give him the game time, it can’t be any worse defensively than it already is.
@JW91
Kuminga responded with his best game this season, 24 pts on 10-13 shooting with 5 reb 4 ast 1 stl 1 bk in under 30 minutes. Kerr isn’t pushing Wiseman in his 1st game back.
@NBA is OK
Yea Kumminga had a good game, but he’s also playing worse than his rookie year yet Kerr is playing him very strong mins.
I agree to not pushing him but 5 mins is beyond that, if he was 1 day back from injury maybe. But not a #2 pick who’s been getting reps in G league.
Kuminga barely played and was terrible through Dec last year. He slowly improved and earned more min. Him and Moody both have been slow starters that eventually found rhythm last year and this.
Yes, he should have played more than 5. But, Wiseman is clearly worse than Looney and W’s needed a win last night. Back to GLeague is the best option for now.
True, their away record is beyond poor so they needed a W, especially without Steph.
Just feels he wont get any better keep playing in G league. If I’m Warriors, trade for a D minded big man. They have 4 young players on rookie contracts that have high upside, trade centred on 2 of them would get a good return.
He will never work out with the Warriors. Their system has never needed or succeeded with a center who needs the ball. They’ve won titles with McGee, Looney, Bogut and Zaza at the 5. Wiseman needs to be traded elsewhere
I agree. Sort of similar to when they signed boogie, granted he was injured for most of his time there but when he played they barely used him.
I mean they would benefit more from a rim rolling center if anyone on the team could figure out how to throw a good lob to him besides Curry. That one from Klay this game was just sad, but he has had just the worst lobs thrown since that Lakers game of like any center I can remember.
He was a terrible pick at the time and has aged worse. I know he wasn’t the 2nd best player in the draft but I still say Toppin was the best fit for them and still believe playing on an offensive team with shooters around him would have made him a really really good player – even if it’s off the bench.
Hali was a miss. They tried to trade down I believe but werent thrilled with the offers. Consensus at the time was him and Edwards were a clear top 2 and they would have taken ANT if he had been there. Nobody thought Lamelo could shoot pre draft.
The team wanted an athletic center that could play more like a guard on offense, but centers take a while to develop and this one has had bad injury/pandemic luck and missed a lot of normal development time.
Wiseman spent 2 years in the video room learning while hurt its not shocking he is overloaded with info while playing now and needing time to get his game processing up to speed with all the stuff he learned not instinctual yet.
Wiseman, j. Green, and poole for tim hardaway, josh green and mcgee
Then sign paul milsap.
Hardaway is trash. McGee looks like he is getting old and lost all his min this year. JG isnt someone DAL wants to move.
PM is out of the NBA and could be signed by anyone but looked done last year.
Worst trade idea ever!!!!!
Poole hahahaha
In the meantime, Kuminga is breaking out just in time! What a joy it is to see him develop!
Kuminga’s defense is getting better every game. Last night they should have brought up Rollins who is looking much better down in the G league to handle the ball.
GS should definitely look into trading Wiseman. If they had found a deal for Wiseman in the offseason they could have paid Payton II. Wiseman is a scorer, and his IQ is fine, but you can see what GS has him doing, and needs him to do is not at all natural to him. He looks like & is in my view the exact opposite of what Looney & D.Green are, and do for GS. Its fine if their intention was to keep him long after splash brothers are expired, but paying him to be a non-paticipant until then? He will be inexpensive on his first journeyman contract, so its tough to say how GS feels about their former #2 pick moving forward. Alex Caruso would be a nice fit if the Bulls do something.
Looney looked like this for the first couple years. Wiseman hasnt even played one. Most rookies are negative value look at Bancheros +/- even though he is dropping numbers.
Wiseman has less than 1 years worth of games, he is basically a rookie trying to add 2 years worth of lessons from the video room all at once. You have to be patient with young players.
Who is out there for 9.5M matching salary, is available, and would in any way be worth giving up Wiseman for. The problem isnt the desire to trade him its no deal that remotely makes sense. You want Miles Turner get ready to give up Kum/Wise/Moody/J.Green to match salary or Wise/Loon.
GSW does not have salaries to make a trade and nobodies giving up a good rotation wing on a rookie deal for Wiseman right now and no other bigs or wings that are good on real contracts cost less than 15-20M which GSW cant match.
Future potential is hard to value. Especially when a guy can go from playing like a much lesser version of Ayton, to a defensive stalwart like Looney in a few seasons. 100% Wiseman hasn’t had a full opportunity to showcase his stuff, but time is also running thin with the older core in GS. They apppear to be patient, and want to grow the group.
Looney looked like this for the first couple years. Wiseman hasnt even played one. Most rookies are negative value look at Bancheros +/- even though he is dropping numbers.
Wiseman has less than 1 years worth of games, he is basically a rookie trying to add 2 years worth of lessons from the video room all at once. You have to be patient with young players.
Who is out there for 9.5M matching salary, is available, and would in any way be worth giving up Wiseman for. The problem isnt the desire to trade him its no deal that remotely makes sense. You want Miles Turner get ready to give up Kuminga/Wise/Moody/J.Green to match salary or Wise/Loon.
GSW does not have salaries to make a trade and nobodies giving up a good rotation wing on a rookie deal for Wiseman right now and no other bigs or wings that are good on real contracts cost less than 15-20M which GSW cant match.
Feel sorry for the kid really, he’s never really got going since high school.
I agree it’s a difficult move salary wise if you want someone like Turner or even Ayton etc but, based on salary for a replacement for Wiseman they are out there, Poeltl Noel & Plumlee would be worth a look.
No doubt those tanking teams would take a punt on a 21 year old with his ceiling, and those three don’t fit their timelines.