Golden State Warriors draw heavy criticism after James Wiseman’s big game

Many on social media have been rightfully critical of the Golden State Warriors’ on-court form in recent times, but the franchise still couldn’t avoid a twitter tirade on Sunday despite not taking the floor.

The Warriors dealt former number two overall pick James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons at last month’s trade deadline, with the 7’1″ big man thriving with a starting role and increased opportunity.

James Wiseman had one of the best games of his career on Sunday, drawing more criticism for the Golden State Warriors and their decision to give up on the talented big.

Going against the Miami Heat and one of the best defenders in the league in Bam Adebayo, Wiseman put a team-high 22 points and 13 rebounds in the contest at Little Caesars Arena. He was a major force during the third-quarter in particular, scoring 12 points and recording five rebounds to help put Detroit in a good position to cause an upset win. Fans were quick to criticise the Warriors who were unable to get the best from Wiseman during an injury-plagued stint with the franchise.

The Heat would eventually get the better of the Pistons late in the game, finishing on a 16-2 run to record a 112-100 win. Wiseman was a -5 in plus-minus for the game, scoring his 22 points on an efficient 10-for-13 shooting including making his only three-point attempt.

While Warrior fans can be disappointed with the fact Wiseman is no longer on the roster, heavily criticizing the franchise is a somewhat lazy take given this was always going to be the case. Even in his limited minutes, the 21-year-old showed an ability to score the ball and put up numbers in the box score. The issue was his ability to impact winning, something he was never able to do for Golden State.

Detroit have gone 1-12 in Wiseman’s 13 games for the franchise, so despite his impressive numbers (averaging 13.8 points/9.3 rebounds), it’s not as if he’s contributing to winning basketball.

Golden State will never truly regret the decision until Wiseman becomes an impactful presence on an above average team. Until then it’s impossible to evaluate, and it’s also difficult to make an early assessment when his replacement, Gary Payton II, is yet to take the floor for the Warriors.