On national TV, prized rookie gets the message
Wiseman sits, then soars, for Golden State after missing virus test
On numerous occasions through the first three quarters of the Warriors’ 130104 loss to the Clippers at Staples Center on Thursday night, TNT showed Golden State center James Wiseman, blankfaced, gazing at nothing in particular.
A day after news broke that he had forgotten to take a coronavirus test during the AllStar break, Wiseman was sitting despite the fact that he was available to play. This was seemingly head coach Steve Kerr’s way of punishing the rookie for a lapse in professionalism. Given that Wiseman is known to be hard on himself, few could be faulted for wondering: Could Kerr’s decision to publicly discipline Wiseman prove detrimental?
What unfolded in the fourth quarter helped ease some of those concerns. With a win well out of reach, Wiseman was hyperaggressive, shooting 6for7 from the field — including 1for1 from 3point range — to finish with 14 points and seven rebounds in 12 minutes.
The mini offensive outburst included a few highlightworthy sequences that only reinforced the belief that he could be special: a floater in the key that he drained while drawing contact; a spin move into a layup; a 20foot jumper over a defender’s outstretched arm.
By not letting what could have been perceived as a nationally televised embarrassment affect his play, Wiseman flashed a resilience that bodes well for his future.
Though Wiseman’s physical tools are unquestioned, scouts and pundits have long speculated — fairly or not — about his mental makeup. Predraft writeups often mentioned concerns about his tendency to let bad plays trigger poor body language and snowball into forgettable performances.
At times this season, Wiseman has gotten visibly frustrated after a botched boxout or missed defensive rotation. Kerr has seen those reactions, however, as more positive than
negative. A young player can work on handling his emotions; what he can’t necessarily improve is having a fierce desire to be his best.
Thursday represented a pivotal moment in Wiseman’s maiden NBA season. After making numerous mistakes in last Thursday’s loss to the Suns, Wiseman heard Kerr tell reporters he was disappointed that the 19yearold missed a coronavirus test. Then, after being forced by the league to miss Wednesday’s practice in Los Angeles, Wiseman sat for much of Thursday’s game in warmups.
What he saw was an overmatched Warriors team getting more and more frustrated. After entering the break on its first threegame losing streak of the season, Golden State experimented with newlook lineups, only for the Clippers to not let it within striking distance after pulling away in the
second quarter.
With the Warriors down 7046 early in the third quarter, guard Stephen Curry unleashed a verbal tirade on his teammates. This was an uncommon sight from someone known for his easygoing demeanor. But with Golden State slowly starting to slip out of the playoff picture, Curry was tired of seeing silly turnovers and fouls.
The good news: In the fourth quarter, when many teams would have stopped trying, the Warriors continued to play hard. No one epitomized that more than Wiseman, who, after an upanddown start to his NBA career, hopes to find some consistency.