Wiseman’s rookie mistake punished properly by Kerr

Nineteen years on the planet.

Sixtynine minutes of college basketball.

One hundred and five days as a professional athlete.

And one giant spotlight.

That’s James Wiseman’s world right now. An inexperienced youngster by any measure save for draft position and salary, Wiseman got a big lesson about responsibility and accountability as the Warriors started the second half of their season.

“I made a huge mistake,” the Warriors rookie said after being benched until the fourth quarter in Thursday’s humbling loss to the Clippers. “I most definitely won’t do that again.”

Wiseman missed a mandatory coronavirus test during the AllStar break. We all have pandemic brain and can barely remember to put on shoes when we go out, so I think most people will be a little forgiving of Wiseman’s mistake. It’s his first AllStar break, the first time he’s had

six days in a row off. He probably started bingeing “Bridgerton” and lost track of time — hey, who hasn’t been there?

But Wiseman doesn’t get a pass, specifically because of his draft position and salary. He may be just a teenager, but he represents the Warriors’ future. So, coach Steve Kerr was right in benching him.

The decision became a huge story, when Kerr explained it prior to the nationally televised game. Wiseman is a point of fascination on social media. There was a lot of digital chatter as the cameras panned down to Wiseman on the bench. Was Kerr being too harsh?

Absolutely not. Adhering to COVID19 protocol is — or at least should be — a nonnegotiable requirement. After missing the tests, Wiseman had to sit out Wednesday’s practice. Which meant he was letting down the team. If he hadn’t been benched it would have been a slap in the face of the players who are doing the right thing. And if Kerr hadn’t been honest about it, he would have looked like he was hiding something.

“We’re trying to help him become the player he can be,” Kerr said. “There are lessons along the way. You’ve got to prove it in this league. If you want to be Steph (Curry) or Draymond (Green), you’ve got to do what those guys did. Guess what? They were benched in their rookie years. They had to fight. Even superstars have to earn their way.”

One line of questioning after the game was about how Wiseman would withstand the punishment, whether he would “fall into a hole of selfdoubt.” In the past, Wiseman has been hard on himself. And he’s already had some hurdles in this young season — he tested positive for the coronavirus during training camp, losing important developmental days, then missed several games with a sprained wrist.

But Wiseman certainly didn’t look like he was in a confidence hole. He played hard in the fourth quarter when he got his chance. He showed up right away for a Zoom postgame interview. He answered every question, took full responsibility and even called reporters by their first name, which anyone who has parented a 19yearold knows is somewhat remarkable.

Kerr disputed the notion that benching Wiseman would somehow push him off a precipice.

“I don’t agree with that,” Kerr said. “He’s enduring the ups and downs of what a 19yearold young player goes through in the NBA. He’s playing against men now. But you look at how he responded in the fourth quarter and the kind of person he is.

“I love his frustration. His frustration shows how much he cares. To be perfectly frank, I’ve known a lot of 7footers who played because they were 7 feet, and someone told them they should play basketball. That’s not James. James loves this game, and his frustration is a sign of his passion.”

Few players have come into the league with as little experience as Wiseman. Few teenagers have been asked to help reboot a dynasty that was abruptly halted by injury and free agency. None have been asked to do it in the middle of a global pandemic.

But Wiseman, whose mother lives a few floors below him in his building, seems well grounded. After the game, Wiseman was asked if “he’s ever done this before.” True to his surname, the player responded, “This is the first time any of us went through a pandemic.”

The question wasn’t really about missing a test; it was really about if he’s ever made a mistake. I think we all know the answer to that, for all of us. Age 19 or 89.

Every road to stardom comes with potholes. Thursday night’s was a big one and became a national story.

“The path to getting where you want to be — as a superstar, an AllStar, a guy who is the cornerstone of a franchise — there’s nothing smooth about it,” Curry said. “He’s a No. 2 pick that didn’t play, so there’s going to be some attention. Hopefully we can move past it.”

Will Wiseman be able to block out all the chatter?

“Picture yourself at 19,” Kerr said. “How many of you could?”

On March 31, Wiseman will turn 20. So at least we won’t blame any future lapses on being a teenager. Just on being a human.