Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman changes everything

Fresh off of an NBA championship, you wouldn’t think that the Golden State Warriors could get any better right? Well, that isn’t necessarily true as center James Wiseman will be making his highly anticipated return this season.

The Warriors only really had one weakness throughout the playoffs, whether it be against the Denver Nuggets in the first round, or the Boston Celtics in the Finals, they never really had an effective post defense when Kevon Looney wasn’t in the paint.

James Wiseman’s height and ability to shoot, jump, and run make him a major addition to the Golden State Warriors despite his limited experience.

This changes with James Wiseman coming back to the basketball court this year, especially since he has put ten to fifteen pounds of muscle mass over his nearly two-year offseason.

In his rookie season Wiseman put up a decent 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as well as a block per contest as well.

These numbers aren’t bad, especially for a rookie who does not have a defined role and was expected to help the Warriors win games right off the bat due to his Hall of Fame teammates and coach all being available.

Wiseman will likely have his role be more defined now as he eases back into the lineup as a much smarter and much stronger player than he was as a rookie.

He will be used like JaVale McGee was during the Kevin Durant years but much better and much more trusted with the ball and with taking threes.

This will change the dynamic of the Warriors the same way having DeMarcus Cousins did in the 30 games he played, 38 if you include their Finals run. They lost only 12 games with him on the floor, although the entire team was injury-riddled throughout the season.

Boogie Cousins made it possible for the Warriors to not be forced to make the decision between shooting and rebounding because he can do both, whereas JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, and Kevon Looney could only rebound and score close to the basket.

James Wiseman will have much of the same effect, spacing the floor while also having the ability to get boards and be a lob threat for Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in various sets.

Wiseman also has a deep bag in the post having a variety of moves to help him get space, mix that with a possible fade-away game that we saw glimpses of in the Summer League and he might have himself a season this year.

The young big may come off the bench for a majority of the season behind Kevon Looney who had a breakout performance in the playoffs this past year, but his ability to play big in the paint will allow the Warriors to not feel the loss of Looney sitting as badly as they did last season.

Andrew Wiggins learning how to rebound will also lessen the load that James Wiseman will need to carry for the Warriors as he averaged 7.5 rebounds per game in 22 games, including a monstrous performance against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Golden State Warriors should be the favorites to win the NBA Finals with the addition of James Wiseman. The big man’s height and athleticism crossed with his skill make him a legit threat to opposing centers who otherwise would just be able to bully the smaller Warriors.