James Wiseman was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and there is no doubt that his exceptional athleticism and talent played a part in that selection. James Wiseman has so far displayed some flashes but hasn’t quite emerged as a standout for the Golden State Warriors. James Wiseman is currently averaging 6.8 points per game and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 60.9% from the field.
There is no doubt that James Wiseman has endured a huge amount of criticism from Warriors fans. A lot of fans wanted him traded earlier in the season so that the team could go all-in on the Stephen Curry timeline.
Recently, Warriors governor Joe Lacob defended James Wiseman on an episode of The TK Podcast. He admitted that there’s “always a timetable in sports” but added that James Wiseman is “an immense talent” and “very talented”.
“There’s always a timetable in sports, whether we like it or not. But Wiseman is 21 years old,” he said on The TK Show. “You have to put this in perspective. He’s an immense talent, he’s an incredibly hard worker, he really cares. These things matter. He’s had a lot of really bad breaks, as we know…I do think he’s very, very talented. He’s also in an organization and on a team which is trying to win championships. It’s different than if you’re playing somewhere they’re just throwing everybody out there, the young guys are putting up numbers and getting a lot of experience. It’s hard for our young guys to do that here. And our coaching staff, our coach likes to play veterans. I don’t blame him. He’s trying to win; that’s his job.”
Hopefully, we see James Wiseman develop into a star at some point during his career. He definitely has a high ceiling, and perhaps the Golden State Warriors development staff could help him reach it in the future.
Draymond Green Also Defended James Wiseman And Other Young Warriors Players
Earlier in the season, we also saw Draymond Green defend James Wiseman and other Warriors’ young players. He noted that usually, lottery players are on teams that let them do “whatever they need to do to improve”, rather than being on championship teams.
One of the things I’ve even spoke about with the young guys: the tough spot that they’re in… Those types of guys are usually on teams that suck, and they can do whatever they need to do to improve.
That’s not their situation. They’re expected to contribute at a championship level in year 1 last year, year two this year… In the long run it’ll be better for them having played championship basketball and adjusting to everything they need to adjust to but right now you have to grow through those growing pains.
There is no doubt that in a different situation, James Wiseman would likely get more time to develop. However, it is up to him to make the best of his current situation, and it is on the team to allow him opportunities to show his game.
Hopefully, we see James Wiseman thrive on the Warriors, or on another team if he gets traded. He can still become a productive player in the right environment, but it is unclear if that environment is there on the Warriors.
Source: https://fadeawayworld.net/
