Young Warriors center James Wiseman finally has the greenlight health-wise to play real NBA basketball, but the big man hasn’t yet made a sizeable imprint on a Golden State team that sure could use his size and length so far this season.
The Warriors’ weak start has everybody in the organization pointing out what a long season the NBA has — the team is, as people like to say, “figuring it out.”
Now people who watched last year as young players like Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole emerged to help savvy vets like Steph Curry and Draymond Green win the NBA title might be forgiven for asking: Figuring out what?
But Warriors fans with good memories will recall that the eventual champion Warriors went 2-9 during a stretch last February and March, a time during which they were surely “figuring it out.” Result: their fourth title in seasons. Go, well, figure.
But where are Wiseman, Moses Moody, and Kuminga so far this season? All have seen relatively limited minutes as head coach Steve Kerr tries to work his young players into the lineup while still competing.
Wiseman, in particular, tantalizes with his athleticism and size, but has averaged just 14 minutes per game. And nobody, perhaps, is more tantalized by Wiseman’s potential than the 7-foot Wiseman himself, the #2 draft pick in 2020.
Talking to The Athletic, Warriors GM and President of Basketball Operations Bob Myers said of Wiseman and his eagerness:
“I think a lot of people want to rush it. I’m sure James wants to rush it. We all want it to happen right away. But he has the talent, he has the desire, he has the work ethic. He’s a good kid. I would be more concerned if I thought he wasn’t putting in the work outside of the games. But he is. And he cares. And it’s just going to have to run its course.”
Barring something very unusual, that course should run without too many obstacles. And whatever they are, doubt won’t be one of them. Myers reassures: “Steve believes in him; we believe in him.”
