When the Golden State Warriors took center James Wiseman with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, there was hope that he could be their next star and help extend their dynasty a bit.
He showed definite promise as a rookie, averaging 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 0.9 blocked shots in 21.4 minutes per game while shooting 51.9 percent from the field, but he suffered a torn meniscus towards the end of the year that forced him to sit out all of last season.
So far this season, he has been a disappointment, as he has managed just 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per game.
Some may feel that Wiseman has turned out to be a bust, but such talk is premature at this point.
Wiseman Is Still Developing, And He Needs Time
Overall, the 7-foot, 240-pound center lacks experience.
He played in just three games during his lone season at the University of Memphis, and he has played a total of just 50 games in the NBA, which means that he is still well behind other third-year NBA players in his development.
Players who immediately play well and look like future All-Stars as rookies are uncommon, and in fact, there are plenty of present-day All-Stars who took a few years to become what they are today.
The Warriors appear to be disappointed enough in where Wiseman is in his development that they have assigned him to the Santa Cruz Warriors, their G League affiliate.
It’s important that Wiseman take this in stride and use it as an opportunity to grow his game, according to teammate Jordan Poole.
JP had really good advice for James Wiseman as he begins his stint with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the GLeague: pic.twitter.com/MPPnEwIgKq
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) November 15, 2022
Poole himself really struggled as a rookie, shooting just 33.3 percent from the field and 27.9 percent from 3-point range, but he took off last season, so much so that he was rewarded with a very lucrative multi-year contract extension by Golden State.
NEXT: Fans React To James Wiseman Heading To The G League
larry says
Stop with the Excuses. Wiseman came out of school early, took the money, and has to perform up to his draft status. Right now he is not very good period.