How Golden State Warriors’ James Wiseman fared against G League Ignite on Friday

With a standing-room-only crowd filling Kaiser Permanente Arena for the annual Surf City Black Friday Classic game, the Santa Cruz Warriors defeated the G League Ignite 108 – 100. One again, the crowd was eagerly anticipating a promising performance from Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman in this his fourth G League game.

The team from Henderson, NV, running two perfectly designed pick-and-roll plays, exposed Wiseman immediately to an early 4-0 advantage. On the following Sea Dubs possession, Ryan Rollins, also on assignment from Golden State, whipped an ill-advised pass through the hands of the Warriors’ second-overall pick leading to a turnover and adding to the Ignites’ lead.

Assigned to the G League for an “extended time,” Kerr has yet to determine when James Wiseman will return to the Golden State Warriors second unit.

Wiseman begins his night’s best defensive rotation, skying to block a shot which begins a fast break. The frustrated 21 year-old answers to being targeted early in the game, snatching a defensive rebound and, showing his time in Surf City has not been wasted, boxing out to clear an offensive rebound. In the same sequence, he shatters the rim, scoring two of his night’s 12 points and a Warriors 22-21 lead heading into the second quarter.

Marred by turnovers and a propensity to foul, the Warriors finished the half trailing the Ignite 54-48. Maintaining their lead throughout the third quarter, Rollins hits a late three, sending Santa Cruz into the fourth with an 80-77 deficit. With defense and ill-timed Ignite turnovers, the Warriors put the game out of reach with back-to-back threes by Jerome Robinson and Dusty Hannahs, completing a fourth-quarter comeback concluding the Black Friday Classic.

Wiseman had 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 27 minutes throughout the contest. He’s making strides towards returning to Kerr’s second unit rotation, but only time will tell when that happens. The supporting fans remain hopeful Kerr is not in a hurry to see him in a Golden State uniform — Wiseman’s development seems organized, and his improvement was displayed Friday night.

The seven-foot big man is back in action tonight with the Warriors on the second night of a back-to-back. Santa Cruz will be aiming to move to 5-5 while their opponent, the Stockton Kings, currently sit at 2-4.