Golden State Warriors: Patience is key with Wiseman, Kuminga, Moody

Fans are eager to see the Golden State Warriors make use of their young studs.

Some simply want to see the two rookies earn more playing time while others, mostly fans of other teams, are inquiring as to why the Dubs are not trading James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody for an instant-impact player.

Patience is the key.

The Golden State Warriors would be smart to remain patient when it comes to Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and Moses Moody.

Perhaps the biggest perk of Golden States’ 21-4 start to the season, aside from the pure joy of winning, is they no longer have to worry about panic-button trade scenarios.

Rather than punting on their young assets, the Warriors can attempt to brew the perfect storm of development and title contention.

James Wiseman

The sting of Wiseman’s lackluster rookie year was only worsened by LaMelo Ball — who was still on the board when Golden State selected Wiseman — ran off with the Rookie of the Year Award.

Now, it has been months without Wiseman on the floor and there is no timetable for his return. The uncertainty of Wiseman’s future has him appearing in trade rumors yet again.

While Wiseman is the most reasonable member of the young core to be included in trades, everyone should pump the brakes.

At the end of the day, Wiseman is still a seven-foot freak of nature athlete who has an easy path to NBA success. The bare minimum of development could see Wiseman emerge as a productive two-way rim presence. This is worth hanging on to him for a few more seasons.

Jonathan Kuminga

The No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga has not had an opportunity to showcase his skills at the NBA level.

He has been reserved to a bench role, sitting out of entire games for much of the season. In the few minutes he has played, Kuminga looked raw on both ends of the floor.

Yet, the potential for him to be a multifaceted defender and threat in transition is undeniable. Kuminga’s build makes him a good fit in Golden State and it should not be too hard to help him reach his potential as a two-way player.

Moses Moody

The last player Golden State should consider giving up on is Moses Moody. He does not have a higher ceiling than Kuminga or Wiseman but he is the safest bet of the bunch to have a long, successful NBA career.

Moody has what it takes to fill in as a second unit star who shoots the ball, plays defense and creates plays for others. He has embraced his role even in the limited minutes he’s played and would arguably be a routine rotational player if he was not in a cold streak from deep.

In his most recent G-League game, Moody netted 37 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the 3-point line.

I would bet the bank on Moody being an important player in the near future for Golden State.