Santa Cruz Warriors: Is James Wiseman starting to deliver on his promise?

Struggling to find consistent, productive minutes in Steve Kerr’s second rotation, the Golden State Warriors sent James Wiseman to Santa Cruz to find his game. The 21-year-old accepted the challenge and promised to work hard, using his time in the G League as a positive experience. On Saturday Night, Wiseman played his best developmental game since being assigned for an extended visit to Surf City.

Improvements to James Wiseman’s game were on display from the opening tip as the Golden State Warriors G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, took on the Stockton Kings.

Wiseman’s notable improvement was his timing setting and slipping screens, doing so without clogging driving lanes. Lingering to hold the screens and then slipping them on time was an adjustment made pleasing to watch.

Wiseman was instantly rewarded when Patrick Baldwin Jr. dropped a perfect pocket pass ending with his flush at the rim. His athleticism and foot speed was the most impressive part of this outing. With limited touches, his mid-range and floater game was outstanding. He finished the night perfect from the line with a double-double in the box score on 5-for-11 shooting, scoring 14 points, adding 10 rebounds, one assist and one block in 26 minutes.

He still is a work in progress, remaining focused on not clogging driving lanes which contributed to the lack of offense in the fourth quarter and aided the Kings in their come-from-behind win. Defensively, it was apparent his focus was on box-out positioning and rebound angles allowing easy boards for teammates. His drop defense still needs some work, but the guards must help him more when tasked with containing both the guard and the center. He also needs to remain disciplined — he did leave his feet twice, biting on pump fakes.

With the Warriors on a brief two-game road trip, Kerr’s surging squad will make a stop at the Target Center to play the Minnesota Timberwolves before visiting Dallas, Texas, for a game at the American Airlines Center with the Dallas Mavericks. The visit will be the first opportunity for Luka Doncic and his teammates to face the Warriors since their loss in last season’s division championship.

The Warriors will return home to play the Chicago Bulls on December 2nd at Chase Center. It’s unlikely we’ll see Wiseman in any of these games, with his next outings likely to be G League matchups on December 2nd and 3rd at Stockton Arena for back-to-back games against the Kings.