⏩ Building chemistry: Among guard Stephen Curry’s goals is to find chemistry with rookie center James Wiseman.
Stephen Curry returned Monday from a bruised tailbone that cost him five games. The Warriors’ point guard plans to renew his efforts to build chemistry with rookie center James Wiseman.
“We’re working on getting some reps together, even in practice, so he can kind of understand angles, my pace, how I see those reads, how teams are going to defend me, and how he can make those subtle adjustments,” Curry said before Monday’s game against Chicago. “To be able to set good screens, roll, find the right angles to attack, and chemistry for the passes I make. The more time you’re out there, that’s a big part of what we do.”
Pickandroll is a big part of what Curry does — mostly with Draymond Green — as the twotime MVP has put himself back into the conversation for the award again. At 7.95, Curry’s net rating average (points scored per 100 possessions on the floor minus points allowed 100 per possessions on the floor) through Sunday ranked second only to LeBron James’ 9.20.
As stellar as Curry’s numbers are this season, they’re equally awful when Wiseman is on the court.
Twoman combinations of Curry and Kent Bazemore (plus129 cumulatively), Bazemore and Green (plus101) and Curry and Green (plus99) madke up the Warriors’ best twoplayer groups for outscoring an opponent.
Curry and Wiseman had been on the court for 440 minutes, and they had been outscored by 79 points. The only teammates worse were Wiseman and Kelly Oubre Jr. (minus105), Oubre and Andrew Wiggins (minus119), Oubre and Eric Paschall (minus124), and Wiggins and Wiseman (minus164).
“He loves basketball. He cares. You can see it in his body language,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers said of Wiseman, the No. 2 overall pick. “He’s got to learn, how much to care, and how to move past some of the mistakes. But he’s a really wonderful kid. He wants it. That’s what you bank on with someone like that, with that kind of raw talent, that they’ll put the work in. He does put the work in, and eventually, that reveals itself consistently.”
Wiseman has gone through a season like no other. At 19, an NCAA investigation limited him to three college games at Memphis. Without a summer league, he reported to training camp, and a positive coronavirus test cost him the exhibition season.
He was thrust into the starting lineup in a marquee game at Brooklyn, only to lose the spot after 16 games. A wrist injury sidelined him for 11 games, and a missed coronavirus test led to him benched for three quarters in a loss to the Clippers.
“I just want him to have fun. I want him to relax and play. He’s 19,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “This stuff can’t happen overnight. As much as everyone wants it to happen overnight — whether that’s James, our coaching staff, our organization, or our fans — it doesn’t happen overnight. So, we’ve got to help James through this process. Really, the best thing for him to do is enjoy himself.
“There’s a lot of stress with being the No. 2 pick and being in the limelight and all of that. Things haven’t gone his way lately, but he’s so talented. He’s going to be fine, but I’d like to see him relax and play.”
Curry certainly can help with all of that, and he wants to do so.