The Warriors thought they were getting a franchise center when they took the plunge on James Wiseman in 2020, selecting him with the second pick of that year’s draft. And while it’s much too early in Wiseman’s development to determine whether he’ll be an impact player in the NBA, the seven-footer missed all of last year due to injury and has played only sparingly in his 10 games this season, averaging just 13.8 minutes off the bench.
A raw but talented prospect who played all of three games in college before turning pro, Wiseman was always going to be a work in progress with plenty in the way of growing pains. However, the Warriors, coming off their fourth title in eight years, don’t necessarily have the luxury of letting Wiseman learn on the job. With a payroll approaching $200 million (and it’s only going up from there), there’s too much at stake for the Warriors to afford Wiseman any kind of meaningful role.
It’s a frustrating catch-22, the type of maddening rinse-repeat cycle that could stunt a player’s progress, or worse, do lasting damage to Wiseman’s confidence. Which begs the question, would Wiseman benefit from a stint in the G League? ESPN’s Tim MacMahon thinks so, arguing that a change of scenery might be just the jolt Wiseman needs right now.
“I think it’s getting to the point where they’re going to have to consider pulling the plug on Wiseman being a rotation player. They’re already cutting his minutes. I’m saying send him to the G League, that’s where he needs to be,” said MacMahon on the Hoops Collective podcast. “There should be no shame in going to the G League, getting minutes, making mistakes that aren’t going to be under the microscope of you’re making mistakes that are costing the defending champion, dynasty Warriors games.”
While a demotion to Santa Cruz (home of Golden State’s G League affiliate) might be a blow to Wiseman’s ego, at least initially, it could help him in the long run, restoring his confidence while allowing him to play free and unfettered instead of living in fear that his next mistake might get him benched.
“If [Jonathan] Kuminga is not playing for the Warriors, let him go play in the G League. These are young guys who are raw, with talent, and they clearly are not ready to contribute to a team that has not just championship aspirations, but is trying to defend a championship,” said MacMahon. “It doesn’t mean they can’t develop into quality NBA players. If they were on the Orlando Magic, fine, let them make those mistakes there. [But] they’re on the Warriors right now and it gets late early in the Western Conference.”
It is admittedly rare for a high-lottery pick, especially one beginning his third season, to find himself in the G League surrounded by fringe roster types whose careers have either passed them by or are struggling to get off the ground. However, these are extenuating circumstances and Wiseman is still just 21 with only 49 games of NBA experience. Could discovering his identity in the G League be the key to unlocking Wiseman’s potential? With minutes proving hard to come by with the big club, it couldn’t hurt.
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