There were high hopes for James Wiseman to succeed Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson as the face of the Golden State Warriors after he was selected second overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by Steve Kerr. But three seasons later, he’s no longer with the Dubs.
Wiseman was sent to the Detroit Pistons by the Warriors in exchange for Saddiq Bey. Then they traded Gary Payton II back to the Portland Trail Blazers for five second-round selections after sending Bey to the Atlanta Hawks.
It’s undoubtedly not how Kerr or Wiseman anticipated the Warriors collaboration to develop, but in the end, there were simply too many obstacles in the path of the big man. In addition to being hurt, Wiseman just didn’t suit the Dubs’ schedule since they were already focused on winning when he arrived.
In his Monday press conference, Kerr acknowledged as much and emphasized that it was difficult to provide the big man with the growth chances he required.
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, when asked why Wiseman didn’t collaborate with Golden State, Kerr stated, “It was just difficult for me to give James the runway that he needed”.
James Wiseman scored 9.9 points and 5.0 rebounds in the 60 games he participated in with the Warriors. He had a knee injury in 2021 and missed the entire season, but he occasionally had glimpses of brilliance. Indeed, he recorded 37 points, 14 rebounds, two steals, and three blocks in his first two matches with the Dubs in 2020.
Sadly, as Steve Kerr noted, Wiseman just ran out of opportunities after suffering his injury and the Warriors’ return to full health.
Steve Kerr on why James Wiseman didn't work out for #Warriors — "It was just difficult for me to give James the runway that he needed." 👀https://t.co/1cWfSmEhxy
— Warriors Nation (@WarriorNationCP) February 14, 2023
We can only hope that the Pistons will give him the opportunity he needs. He best suits Detroit’s rebuilding schedule, but he will need to outperform the other big on the roster.
Let’s hope the Pistons give him the opportunity he deserves. Though he will need to outperform the other big on the roster, he better fits Detroit’s timeframe given that the squad is in the midst of reconstruction.
