WARRIORS WILL FACE 2ND-HALF QUESTIONS
Can they develop Wiseman, get Curry help?
It’s been an erratic, though eventful, first half of the 2020-21 season for the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry is playing at a near-MVP level, Draymond Green ascended to the top of the league rankings in assists while James Wiseman showed promise, got benched, was injured, and looks every part of the new kid in school.
And, after all that, the Warriors are on the fringe of the playoffs — exactly where they were expected to be after Klay Thompson tore his Achilles in November.
The second half of the season will offer the Warriors a chance to return to the playoffs and, more broadly, answer some key questions that will impact not just this season, but many seasons to come. Those questions:
1. WHAT’S THE PLAN FOR JAMES WISEMAN? >> The Warriors are trying to strike a balance between developing Wiseman and making the playoffs, and both are important. Wiseman is the franchise center-in-waiting and potentially the piece that could put Golden State over the top in the future if everything comes together. Yet, the Warriors have been outscored by 77 points this season when the 19-year-old Wiseman is on the court, the worst such mark on the team. His development comes at the immediate cost of winning.
Although the Warriors aren’t realistic title contenders, making the postseason is paramount for a team that fashions itself “Spurs 2.0” and champions its culture. Whatever the excuse, that culture begins to erode if they miss the playoffs two straight seasons.
More pressure is felt by the front office and coaching staff, free agents aren’t as willing to take less money and lesser roles to play for them and that win
ning experience starts to come across more like Grandpa telling stories about the war. People start to question whether that culture ever existed, or if Curry, Thompson, Green and Kevin Durant were simply so good it just seemed like it did.
Wiseman’s playing time has dwindled as the Warriors found themselves jockeying for playoff position. In 16 games as a starter, he played 21.4 minutes per game. His move to the bench in January didn’t severely impact his minutes (down to 19 per game) but, since returning from a wrist injury that cost him nearly three weeks of development, his production has dipped and he’s been mostly limited to a pair of six-minute stretches in the first and third quarters. Wiseman has appeared frustrated at times.
“I know he wants to be great, and he wants to do it as soon as possible,” Curry said after Wiseman had just six points and two rebounds in 11 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Trail Blazers. “He wears his emotions on his sleeve when he’s out there,
but we’ve seen those bright spots. He’ll continue to show that and at the end of the season he’ll have a body of work that shows he has an amazing impact on this team.”
That’s the hope. The Warriorsneedtogetabetter idea of whether Wiseman can contribute impactful minutes next season, when the goal becomes returning to the top of the Western Conference. This is another reason why making the playoffs is so important: It would be the ultimate stress test for Wiseman.
“You can’t just say, ‘Let’s just throw him out there for 35 minutes every night.’ That doesn’t constitute development,
it just constitutes playing time,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Finding the balance and helping him through the ups and the downs of the long season is the biggest part of that development.”
Still, Kerr acknowledged Wiseman would see more minutes. Though Wiseman started Thursday in Phoenix with several players resting, Kerr didn’t commit to him starting after the All-Star break.
2. WILL THE WARRIORS MAKE A MOVE? >> According to a league executive, trade talks are expected to ramp up closer to the March 25 deadline, and most teams are still in the process of figuring out if they are buyers or sellers. The next half-dozen games, for several teams, will be very important.
However, that may not include the Warriors. As GM Bob Myers has said, this front office is taking the long view. Any changes in the next month are likely minor and to the fringes of the roster, or with next season in mind.
Even with the limitations on two-way contracts expected to be lifted, the Warriors could be motivated to add Juan Toscano-Anderson to the 15-man roster to increase their chance of keeping him next season. Golden State could seek to move off of second-year forward Alen Smailagic and backup point guard Brad Wanamaker (particularly if rookie Nico Mannion or Jordan Poole impress in the next couple of weeks).
The big question is: What happens with Kelly Oubre Jr.? He’s played well for them since overcoming his rough start to the season, providing shot-making, rim-running and reliable defense. Oubre will be looking to cash in this summer on his next big contract, and could end up being too expensive for the Warriors to re-sign.
If they determine that’s likely, they should consider trading him.