Reports: NBA scouts in Eastern Conference raise doubts about Golden State Warriors' young trio
The Golden State Warriors haven't looked like the dominant side they were last season as of late. With some NBA scouts suggesting that the Warriors youngsters may be a reason for this, the Dubs may have to re-evaluate their current situation.
The Golden State Warriors may be the defending champions, but they haven't had the best start to their title defense campaign. With a 3-5 record early in the season, the Warriors find themselves in a rather odd position.
Steph Curry and Kevon Looney have picked up where they left off last season. However, the same isn't true for a lot of other players.
In this context, the Golden State Warriors' young core have caught a lot of flak for their underwhelming performances. While rising star Jordan Poole has certainly taken a step up, the same can't be said for the trio of James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
With several players on the roster entering the last leg of their careers, the Dubs were dependent on their young players to improve and play more minutes.
This underwhelming development caught the eye of some Eastern Conference scouts, who have voiced their thoughts on the matter as well. In a conversation with Fox Sports' Ric Bucher, an unnamed scout said:
"I understand why they let their veteran bench players go and made a big bet on Kuminga, Moody and Wiseman. Moody is probably fine and can pick up some of the minutes that equivalent players played last year.
"Kuminga is not that good and can probably only be used situationally and so, depending on matchups, downgrading from Otto Porter or Gary Payton to him could be a problem.
"Wiseman is just not good at all and to the extent that they're not going to play him in any game that really matters, that could be debilitating to their ability to win."
A couple of NBA scouts in the Eastern Conference have raised concerns about Kuminga and Wiseman 😬
nbcsports.com/bayarea/warrio…
Another scout mentioned this to Ric Bucher when they said that one of these youngsters would have to "break out" like Jordan Poole.
They also added that because none of these three played college basketball, being with one of the best teams in the NBA doesn't give them a lot of room to grow and adapt.
Given that the Golden State Warriors are mounting a title defense, the Dubs will need players like Wiseman, Moody and Kuminga to step up.
The Golden State Warriors will have to be patient with their young players
The Golden State Warriors found themselves in an unfamiliar position as they came off a loss on the road on Tuesday. Building upon their 4-game road losing streak, the Dubs have certainly hit upon a rough patch in their season.
The Warriors have obviously placed a lot of faith in the development of their youngsters. Given the roles fulfilled by players such as Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II last season, Golden State stood to lose a lot by letting veterans walk.
This gamble hasn't paid off in the short-run as the Warriors have seen rather underwhelming results from their young core. While Moses Moody has shown sparks of promise, James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga have struggled to get going.
However, it is important to remember that it is early in the season. With only eight games played, the youngsters have time to adjust and develop.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors will remain heavily dependent on Steph Curry and Jordan Poole
to deliver the team some wins. But with poor defense being the primary flaw in their system, Golden State will have to re-evaluate their course of action.