Warriors center James Wiseman has been assigned to Golden State’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz for an “extended period” after struggling off the bench, posting a -24.4 net rating in his 147 minutes so far this season. In an in-depth article for The Athletic, Tim Kawakami breaks down why it might be time for the Warriors to consider trading the former No. 2 overall pick.
As Kawakami outlines, the team’s bench is nowhere near championship-caliber at the moment, and trading Wiseman is one way to potentially bolster the second unit. As of right now, Wiseman is essentially a sunk cost, but it would still behoove the Warriors to wait at least a couple months to see how the team performs over the next 20 or so games before potentially dealing the 21-year-old, according to Kawakami.
Kawakami notes that owner Joe Lacob is a big fan of Wiseman and the Warriors are heavily invested in his development, but a team with championship aspirations can’t afford to wait on a player who hasn’t shown he can reliably produce for a contender.
Here’s more on the defending champions:
- In a Q&A session with Sam Amick of The Athletic, forward Draymond Green says he’s not overly concerned with the team’s 6-9 start to the 2022/23 regular season. “I think the struggles are real,” Green said as part of a larger quote. “Like, I don’t think our struggles are just like something we can ignore. They’re real struggles. They’re very fixable struggles. I don’t want to say they can be easily fixed, because to say something is easy in this profession is a lie in itself. But they are very fixable. Do I think we will fix those things? Absolutely. The question is, ‘How long does it take to fix them?’ It’s not something I’m overly worried about. You’d rather have them sooner rather than later. But in saying that, to build what we’re trying to build, we do understand that it takes time.”
- After Wednesday’s loss to the Suns, in which the Warriors gave up 130 points and wasted a stellar 50-point outing from star Stephen Curry, head coach Steve Kerr was critical of the team’s effort, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “We lack collective grit. We’re playing a Drew League game right now,” Kerr said. “I’ve always felt the game rewards you if you commit to the game. If you really compete together, shots go in, calls go your way, breaks fall your way, and we’re not earning any of this stuff. That’s why we are winless on the road. It’s a pick-up game.” As Kerr noted, the Warriors are now 0-8 on the road this season.
- Klay Thompson‘s extended shooting slump has created a dilemma for the Warriors, says Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Thompson has recorded fewer points (181) than shot attempts (185) through 12 games, and has the fourth-lowest true shooting percentage in the NBA, Slater notes. That’s a rough mix considering he’s taking the second-most shot attempts on the team. Thompson’s forced shots early in the shot clock were particularly problematic against the Suns, with Green and Curry showing obvious frustration with his shot selection, Slater adds.
- Swingman Anthony Lamb, who is playing on a two-way contract for the Warriors, has performed well as a rotation member over the past five games (22.9 minutes), averaging 9.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 60.6% from the field and 54.5% from three. He recently talked about his fit with Golden State, as Tom Dierberger of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. “With the Warriors, I’ve just found my place,” Lamb said. “I’m trying to connect everybody together. We have different lineups, so when Steph or Klay are in, I know what I need to do for them. When Draymond is in, I know what I need to do for him. Just trying to find my spot and make everybody better is what I focus on.”
How did Trading a young Jermaine O’Neal help out the Blazers back in the day? They traded him for Bench help in the form of a declining Dale Davis.
They still couldn’t reach the Finals with Davis and had to watch Jermaine blossom into a perennial All-Star with the Pacers.
Not saying James Wiseman is the next Jermaine O’Neal but there is that Risk of selling Low on him and watching him dominate for another team.
Warriors have a penchant for giving up on Young Big Men too soon and trading them away, only to watch them reach the All Star game with their new teams ( Robert Parish, Tyrone Hill, and Chris Gatling come to Mind).
Just have more Patience Dubs fans. Wiseman might make an Impact in the 2nd Half of the season. Lacob will Order head coach Steve Kerr to play him at some point. He’s making ~$10m this season. He won’t be on the Bench or in the GLeague all season at that Salary.
Agreed. This is a development process in itself. Is it easy? No, but I’m sure management made their calculations in the off-season. Warriors will be fined. BTW. Wiseman is part of that developing process. James will be fined as well.
Agreed, no chance GSW trade anyone on the two timelines. Everyone will stay unless KD requests a deal, in that case probably Wiggins and Kuminga would go to BK. But the chance of that happening is like 2%.
well said, ganggreen
Blazers of that era weren’t dynastic champs with a short window. Steph is only player who is still playing at his peak of the core group. The others are on the downside. They have to maximize what little time they have left
Well said Lionel
Warriors are just gonna wait until players are bought out to bolster second unit. Where is Boogie btw?
Relying on Wiseman is wrong approach, same with Moody and Kuminga. You develop em and give ‘em reps so they can be reliable but that’s on the veterans still to carry the heavy load for another season or two.
The whole point of “two timelines” is to develop one while using the other. The younger one still needs to develop and that can be done in the G League.
They cannot, however, develop if Kerr is obsessed with playing Lamb and Jerome, who both are the two worst defenders in the NBA and not real NBA players. Kerr has played both 2 way players a combined the 7th-most minutes on the team. Why god, why? Who does this? Why is Kerr doing this? It’s gotten the most talented roster in the NBA a 6-9 record! Just break up the starting 5 and spread that high IQ out into the second unit.
We almost never see the Dray-Kuminga-Wiggins-Poole-Steph lineup – why? Why does Kerr play the Green-Wiggins-Thompson-Poole-Curry lineup when it flat out doesn’t work on bigs and the defense just gets run over? Im not an NBA HC but you would assume a good one would have answers to these, Kerr doesn’t.
We’ll see in the future…
Even the 76ers were able to steal a high 1st for Markelle Fultz. There is a team out there dumb enough to give up a high 1st. Warriors should explore.
I can’t fathom how one can watch GSWs starting 5 slaughter everyone, then as soon as Anthony “Jeremy” Lamb steps on the floor and plays -80000000 defense while jagging a couple 3’s. He gets more minutes than Moses Moody, who is an elite talent. Kerr is the problem, Kerr is the solution. He needs to be more engaged and use better rotations that don’t hemorrhage opposition points as soon as Lamb enters the game.
change the record….
Draymond Green and James Wiseman for Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nerlens Noel, Killian Hayes, Jalen Duren and 2 first round picks
Green obviously had his altercation with Poole in the offseason and previously with KD. Poole has since signed and extension and Green on the other hand didn’t and is on the final year of his year with next year being a player option.
They are off to a little bit of a slow start and you can see looking at the roster they are a mix of title team and young rebuilding team.
Maybe they should move early to get something back for Draymond. Same for Wiseman who has been underwhelming. Detroit would be a place Draymond would accept it’s his home and he would suit that side perfectly. In return GSW gets back Bogdan who fit in with the shooting. They get Noel as a shot blocking centre, two young guys in Hayes a pass first point and Duren a like for like Wiseman replacement.
GSW would stay strong with Curry Klay Wiggins Poole Bogdan Looney etc but also have the young guys like Jerome Hayes Moody Baldwin Kuminga Duren and the rotational guys like Iggy Green and Noel. Not to mention they get picks on top of all that.
Detroit on the other hand get a leader at both ends who really spends up their process. Cade Ivey Bey Green Wiseman that’s a very good line up. None of the pieces your giving up a foundational pieces and what your getting back is going to give you a lot more wins. Think green would also be huge in the development of other young forwards. Livers, Bagley and Stewart in particular.
Would love to see this move for the pistons
If you can’t see Wiseman is for real. Then basketball is not your thing. Warriors are not dumb enough to trade him. He’s their future. And like I’ve been saying since day1. Warriors not repeating without Wiseman in the rotation.
I think everyone is missing the point with Wiseman and the Warriors. GS have won their rings with centers who just do the dirty work. Rebound and block shots. Hardly need the ball. Guys like Bogut, Zaza, McGee and now Looney are the types that fit them. Wiseman doesn’t want to do the unglamorous stuff. He wants post touches. Just not the right guy for them in general.
trading draymond doesn’t help their defensive woes now…does it?
When AAU ball evolved from pure basketball to the money-making gaaabage it is now – just a collection of all-star teams traveling the spring/summer circuit playing a ton of games with 16-dribble combo moves and zero defense – not learning how to PLAY BASKETBALL – these are the players that have come into the nba in the last few years.
And now, this is what you get… quotes from respectable coaches like Kerr referencing the games looking like the Drew League and summer Pro-Am games.
Many teams don’t even call plays anymore unless it’s coming from a dead ball or off a time out.
Then when you get a team like the GSW with a mix of the older guys playing with these “new wave” guys, it’s chaos – not even organized chaos. Kerr is ready to throw his hands up about it.
It shows in that the majority of the best young players in the league are foreigners that didn’t come up thru this AAU system. So, when you mix those type of young guys with the “older” players, you still get good basketball.
This new, social media era of basketball… it’s only gonna get worse.
Wiseman (who I assume you’re talking about, not sure) also played all of 3 games in college, he was always gonna need extra development.