Why Wiseman hasn’t been playing of late
Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman on Wednesday returned from an 11-game absence related to a left ankle sprain, but the No. 2 overall pick in 2020 didn't receive any minutes against Memphis or Toronto at the end of last week.
Wiseman's last action for the Warriors came on Dec. 28 in a win over Utah, a game in which he was praised for his gradual defensive improvement, showcasing better positioning and awareness in his seven minutes.
For Wiseman, it was just three games removed from a career-high 30point performance in a lopsided loss in Brooklyn on Dec. 21. The young center had been showing subtle signs of improvement after spending a month down in the G League with Santa Cruz.
On Sunday, head coach Steve Kerr said there's a possibility that Wiseman will again be re-assigned to Santa Cruz.
“It's tough being a young player, but things can change quickly,” Kerr said. “You always have to stay ready, and I would love to get him out there . ... There's a little bit of a logjam at (center), but James has to stay ready.”
On Tuesday, the day before Wiseman was cleared to return, he spoke to reporters and shared what he learned by watching during his 11-game absence. Actions mean considerably more than words in the NBA, but he certainly sounded focused.
“I'm starting to see out there what I need to do,” Wiseman said. “I've been watching (Kevon Looney) and Draymond (Green) and how they can orchestrate the defense just by using their voices and being vocal. So I just have to communicate on defense and the offense will come.”
Still, because of Kerr's decision to play with smaller lineups in recent games, it has become more difficult for the 21year-old to see meaningful minutes. Wiseman's playing time cut coincided with Jordan Poole's insertion into the starting lineup on Jan. 19 against Boston, and Looney's move to the bench.
Although the Warriors prefer to look at their lineups as positionless, that technically makes Green the center in their smallball starting lineup, and he's out there with Andrew Wiggins and three guards in Poole, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Looney becomes the first reserve big off the bench, and that pushes Wiseman even further back on the depth chart.
“Yeah, it's not easy,” Kerr told reporters ahead of Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies. “We've got a lot of guys who I would really like to play. … A few games ago we decided to start smaller, which means Looney is coming off the bench. So you just do the math and it's hard to get four centers into the game, especially in 2023.”
Kerr has kept his rotation tight in recent games, playing no more than nine players. Along with Looney, Jonathan Kuminga, JaMychal Green and Anthony Lamb have been receiving big minutes as reserve bigs. And when Andre Iguodala, who has missed seven straight games because of right hip soreness, is healthy enough to return, it essentially puts Wiseman in an impossible spot.
In the Warriors' 129-117 win over Toronto on Friday night, Looney picked up his fourth foul deep into the second quarter. JaMychal Green started the second half in his place, and Wiseman never got off the bench. JaMychal Green has played well over his past three games, averaging 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds off the bench.
“We just decided to go with JaMychal,” Kerr said after Friday's game against the Raptors. “So we gave him those minutes. But James could find himself out there next game. … He just has to stay ready, which I think he will.”
Kerr said the decision regarding who plays and who doesn't will be determined on a game-to-game basis based on matchups, who's available and other factors. And he did acknowledge that Wiseman was performing well prior to his injury and that he's not afraid to play him.
But Kerr has said repeatedly that Wiseman needs reps for his continued development. And if he's not going to receive minutes for the Warriors, perhaps for the sake of his development his coming weeks would be better spent in Santa Cruz.
The NBA's Feb. 9 trade deadline is approaching, and reports suggest that the Warriors won't be active in terms of looking to move any of their young pieces as general manager Bob Myers continues to feed his develop-now, win-now plan established last season with the lottery selections of Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Either way, Wiseman needs reps somewhere, whether to bolster his value to Golden State or to improve his value on the open market.
Wiseman, still on a rookie contract, will be extension-eligible next summer and could be a restricted free agent entering the 2024 offseason. The Warriors picked up his third-year option in October.
“I'm a huge fan” of Wiseman, Kerr said recently on the “Damon & Ratto” show. “And however this plays out, we don't know. But I hope I get to continue to coach him and I hope that he can develop here and get more opportunities as we go forward.”
“It’s tough being a young player, but things can change quickly . ... There’s a little bit of a logjam at (center), but James has to stay ready.” Steve Kerr, Warriors head coach, on center James Wiseman