Golden State Warriors: Be patient with James Wiseman

I’m going to say it – and I don’t care how potentially disastrous this take could sound a few years from now: The Golden State Warriors made the correct choice taking James Wiseman over LaMelo Ball in the NBA Draft.

This is not because I think Wiseman will be a better player than Melo when it’s all said and done (He could be) but it’s because I realize hindsight is 20/20. I’ve seen the outrage, ‘How could Minnesota/Golden State pass up on Ball?!’ and the answer to that is, at the time, Anthony Edwards and Wiseman appeared to be much safer picks.

The people acting like Melo should have been the clear consensus No. 1 overall pick are just prisoners of the moment. Even the most optimistic LaMelo Ball fans should be able to admit that before he entered the NBA, there were some major concerns surrounding his game. He wasn’t a particularly good shooter in the NBL (He shot 25 percent) and his dazzling passes were met with equally as bad turnovers and horrific (I mean horrific) defensive performances.

Selecting Ball was the ultimate crapshoot. He was one of the highest-risk/reward prospects we have ever seen, especially given the odd circumstances in which the draft took place. While some fans may be disappointed they aren’t watching Ball run the floor next to Stephen Curry – it’s important to remember why Wiseman was such an exciting prospect for the Dubs, to begin with.

Before you complain about James Wiseman, give the rookie a chance to fully grow into his role with the Golden State Warriors.

For years, the idea of a dominant center running alongside the splash brothers was a dream. There’s a reason everyone panicked when DeMarcus Cousins signed with the Dubs in 2018. Had it not been for a wave of injuries, Cousins would have helped propel the Warriors to a new level of greatness.

Now, the Dubs will work to develop this greatness with Wiseman. He’s already shown the potential to step outside of the paint and knock down shots, hitting 10-of-27 3-point attempts (37 percent). Add this to his uber-athletic, seven-foot frame and we have a star in the making.

Wiseman can be the complete package. With improved ball-handling and consistent effort to round out his post-game, there’s no reason we aren’t looking at a player with a similar ceiling to that of Joel Embiid and David Robinson. That’s how talented Wiseman is.

So far, Wiseman is averaging just 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds. But, keep in mind that he’s only 19 years old and he hardly played in college. Everyone needs to be a bit more patient with Wiseman and give him a chance to grow.