The Golden State Warriors should start James Wiseman

It may be in the best interest of the Golden State Warriors to bench fan favorite Kevon Looney in favor of the young, developing James Wiseman. I know it sounds incredibly strange following his slow start, but just hear me out.

Looney has been his usual solid self to start the year, averaging seven points and 6.1 rebounds per game. While he’s not going to win any individual awards around the league, Warrior fans know his importance to the team’s success.

While Looney’s stats don’t jump off the screen, his play on the court certainly does. Looney has been a fantastic leader on the defensive end, playing key contributor to the Warriors 2022 championship triumph. His defense has been a major factor in the three Warriors wins this season, and the impact he can have on that end is ridiculous for an undersized center.

With how good Kevon Looney has been, particularly over the last 12 months, why should the Golden State Warriors start James Wiseman?

The answer is simple, yet complicated. Firstly, the Warriors lack a defensive leader off the bench. Last season the roster featured three in Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr. and Juan Toscano-Anderson.

This season, the only leaders defensively are Looney and Draymond Green. It may just be best for one of those guys to lead the bench unit like Andre Iguodala once did. Green won’t be vacating his role until someone like Jonathan Kuminga is ready, leaving Looney as the option to move to the bench.

This would see Wiseman become the new starting center for the reigning NBA champions. At 21 years of age, the former number two overall pick has gotten off to a slow start this season, having a negative impact on both ends of the floor due to his lack of experience.

However, if we watch the young big man closely, he gets his best minutes with Green and Stephen Curry on the floor. This is largely due to Curry and Green being the only players on the roster capable of being elite passers, particularly when it comes to alley-oops at the rim.

Offense leads to defense and easy shots offensively will allow Wiseman and the Warriors time to get settled into a half-court defense. With Green on the floor with him, he’ll have a leader on that end who can keep him engaged, energetic and active.

He’ll also be able to make more mistakes — right now he’s expected to be the defensive anchor for the bench unit, despite simply not being ready for that role. Being on the floor with four good defenders will allow him more room for error. Wiseman has already gotten reps with the starters and there’s potential there, perhaps to the point where he looks more comfortable with the starting group.

How would this affect the bench unit?

For starters, it gets a defensive leader playing more with Jordan Poole, something he has proven to need numerous times as a young player. Secondly, it limits Wiseman’s minutes with Poole and JaMychal Green, a trio that’s proved ineffective so far this season.

Adding Looney to the bench unit would see an increase in defensive intensity from players like Poole and JaMychal Green. When Donte DiVincenzo returns from injury, the addition of he and Looney could provide the hard-nosed defense Golden State need to execute for 48 minutes each night.

Starting Wiseman and allowing him to grow with the starters may be the missing component for the Warriors this season. While it’s undoubtedly fraught with risk, it’s the kind of move that could make-or-break Golden State’s championship aspirations, and Wiseman’s development as a player overall.