Wednesday was not a good night for the Golden State Warriors, as they fell apart in the final seconds and lost to the Utah Jazz, 124-123.
But it marked the return of center James Wiseman, who had been sent down to the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s G League affiliate.
Wiseman played just five minutes, scoring three points and getting two rebounds, but he said he put in some good work in the G League and that it should serve him well moving forward.
James Wiseman spoke at shootaround this morning. He said it was "necessary" for him to go down to Santa Cruz and work on every aspect of his game. His defense remains a work in progress but he feels like he's getting his rhythm and confidence back.
— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) December 7, 2022
Wiseman Can Play A Key Role For Golden State
Over the last eight years, even though the Warriors have reached the NBA Finals every season they’ve been healthy, they have had one relative weakness: the center position.
They’ve had to make do with mere mortals like Andrew Bogut, Zaza Pachulia, and Kevon Looney starting at the 5.
Wiseman has the potential to become better than any of them, as he has the ability to score, rebound and block shots.
He hasn’t really shown much of that ability thus far this season, and it looks like head coach Steve Kerr is breaking him in slowly.
While that may cause Wiseman to be a bit frustrated, it will ultimately be good for him, as it will give him the luxury of learning and growing at his own pace without having the shoulder the pressure of needing to become a good player soon.
If he becomes worthy of a regular spot in the rotation by March and April, it will go a long way in helping Golden State win its fifth NBA championship in nine seasons.
