Wiseman struggles in loss to Kings

Some nights, the growing pains for James Wiseman look more painful.

Thursday’s 141-119 loss in Sacramento to the Kings was one of those nights. Wiseman had just six points on 3-of-8 shooting, eight rebounds and five turnovers. When he picked up his fourth personal foul in the second half, teammates Juan Toscano-anderson and Eric Paschall talked him down as he was visibly frustrated.

“So many people are out there criticizing him, and I just don’t understand,” Toscano-anderson said. “So I stay in his ear, man. I tell him to have fun. … The NBA is the best league in the world — you’re going to have ups and downs and it’s a learning curve for him.”

Added coach Steve Kerr: “That was a tough game for him. He’s 19 and this is the way it goes — you have to take your lumps. So James is going to get a lot better. But that’s why he’s playing. You have to be out there and get those minutes and feel the speed of the game. It just takes time, especially for big guys.”

Wiseman, who was named the starting center earlier this week, is struggling to find ways to contribute in Kerr’s readand-react offense. He spent most of the game shuffling into post position and calling for the ball only to watch it sail to another teammate. On one occasion, he was called for a travel when he tried to step back into a 3-pointer, squandering a rare opportunity to flash his skillset. Wiseman’s most natural role is a rim-running big man in a pickand-roll offense, but Kerr runs very little pick-and-roll, preferring a more egalitarian system.

“He just needs to play,” Kerr said. “It’s not about calling plays or doing one thing or another. It’s just about playing.”

TOSCANO-ANDERSON CONTINUES TO MAKE HIS CASE >> Starting in place of Green, who woke up Thursday not feeling well, Toscano-anderson impressed. He finished with 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting, made all three of his 3-point attempts, and had six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Making the most of his minutes has been a trend for Toscano-anderson

all season. However, those minutes have fluctuated wildly. Just since the All-star break, he has played 19, 10, 3, 13, 8, 24, zero and 26 minutes.

Right now, the Warriors care about shots. As impressive as Toscano-anderson has been, he also went five straight games without scoring a single point — a problem as Golden State tries to improve from the 23rd-rated offense in the league.

But that’s this season. What about next season, when Stephen Curry is reunited with Klay Thompson and Golden State’s offense is much splashier? Toscano-anderson could fill a complementary role on that team.

“He just needs to play. It’s not about calling plays or doing one thing or another. It’s just about playing.” — Steve Kerr