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Warriors: Tempering expectations for James Wiseman is wise

By Nathan Beighle

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 26: James Wiseman #33 of the Golden State Warriors slam dunks against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on February 26, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 26: James Wiseman #33 of the Golden State Warriors slam dunks against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on February 26, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors appear to be entering next season with two true centers on the roster.

Jonathan Kuminga and JaMychal Green will likely get some run at the five at well, but it should be a routine mixture of veteran Kevon Looney and 2020 No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman on a nightly basis.

The Warriors will be watching James Wiseman take the court for the first time in well over a year this fall, and expectations should be tempered.

It felt like the team force-fed Wiseman minutes during his rookie season. He played in 39 games, starting 27. In those appearances, he averaged 21.4 minutes per game.

Wiseman missed the last 28 games, so the last time fans saw him in a real-time NBA game was April 20, 2021. During his rookie season, Wiseman averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, reasonably decent numbers given his role on the roster.

Golden State finished 8th in the Western Conference that season, missing the playoffs in a play-in tournament loss to Memphis. Wiseman’s main problems as a rookie were on the defensive end, where he averaged 5.2 fouls per 36 minutes.

Wiseman will likely see around the same amount of minutes this season as Looney gets 20, he gets 20 and the Warriors go into a small-ball lineup for about ten. That’s at least what most would expect from Golden State.

As for Wiseman, the same concerns that plagued his rookie season were there during the 2K23 Las Vegas Summer League. Wiseman averaged 4.5 fouls per game in 19.9 minutes, playing in just 4 of the Dubs’ performances.

That same issue with staying vertical could easily be a headline for this upcoming season. Wiseman did showcase an outside touch, hitting two threes, and his aggression offensively could make him a perfect addition to the second unit.

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At the end of the day, the learning curve will still be there, and it would be wise to expect Wiseman to continue off his rookie season instead of assuming he’ll be a finished product when he takes the court in the fall.

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