Reports: Western Conference coach believes James Wiseman 'Has a steep hill to climb' in terms of his development
Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman finds himself in the G League as he finds his groove again. While there are great expectations for Wiseman from within the franchise, a Western Conference coach expressed his thoughts on the youngster's potential.
One Western Conference coach believes James Wiseman has a steep hill to climb if he wants to become the big man the Warriors need him to be
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James Wiseman hasn't had the best start to his 2022-23 campaign. Having missed a significant amount of time early in his career due to injury, the former second-overall pick was expected to play a huge role upon joining the team.
While factoring in his length, skillset, and defensive upside, the Warriors stood to benefit greatly from having him in the lineup. Unfortunately, Wiseman hasn't necessarily lived up to expectations. With mediocre offensive contributions and constant struggles assimilating into the system, the organization decided to let him develop with the G League.
Wiseman being assigned to the G League would be ideal for a variety of reasons. Given the impact confidence and self-esteem can have on a player's performance, a young player like Wiseman would benefit greatly from getting back into his groove.
However, speculation and criticism about his ability to contribute in the NBA have not subsided. A Western Conference coach expressed his doubts about James Wiseman in a recent interview with Heavy.com's Sean Deveney. He stated:
"“He has looked [like he’s] in over his head. You can’t have him on the floor with Draymond [Green] because they get real easy to guard with them together. And you can’t have him out there with a big role with the second unit because he is not good enough to carry that group.
He added,
“What do you do with him? I don’t think they know, so he is going to be down there [in the G League] because at least you know he will be on the floor."
The assignment to the G League bodes well as Wiseman continues to rack up minutes. The importance of being active also plays a huge role in ensuring that the young center returns with more confidence in his ability to contribute.
With Steve Kerr mentioning that Wiseman would be with the Santa Cruz Warriors for an extended period of time, the Dubs can only hope for the best for their young center.
James Wiseman hadn't settled into Golden State's system
The Golden State Warriors are known to have one of the most complex, yet effective, offensive systems in the NBA. With a free-flowing offense that prioritizes constant movement from players, a player may take time to settle into the Warriors' system.
At this point, Warriors veterans Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have a near-telepathic connection. The plays that run through them appear and feel completely natural.
Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case for James Wiseman, as well as some of the other Warriors youngsters.
The lack of game awareness and familiarity has resulted in a consequent struggle to contribute on the floor. This has naturally led to some rather severe criticism of Wiseman in particular, especially considering the importance of his role.
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Wiseman started his assignment on a solid note. After racking up a double-double in his first G League outing of the season, James Wiseman could have set the tone for his future.
Wiseman drained this 3-pointer with confidence 💦 https://t.co/3taQ4pNg4w