The Warriors don’t get it, they don’t understand the treatment James Wiseman gets on social media from the Golden State fanbase. After having experienced a season turned upside down by the Covid and injuries, James Wiseman is more than mocked. Fans are losing patience: for his first year in the NBA, he did not have the expected level to be able to accompany an extraordinary Stephen Curry to the playoffs. The young pivot, who should be back from his meniscus injury at the dawn of next season, has seen criticism raining in recent weeks.
A delicate situation for the player that Joe Lacob, co-owner of the Warriors, does not understand. In fact, he is even embarrassed about it.
“I’m so flabbergasted by what I read about James Wiseman,” breathed Lacob. “I don’t know what these people are looking at. I’m excited, excited about what I’ve seen this year. He obviously came straight out of high school, basically. He didn’t have a summer league, no preseason, he had COVID, he got injured. Look, given all of that, I would have liked to see him play more games at the end, he sure would have improved towards the end of the season. But the pivots at 19, look at the story. … If you look, if you use your eyes and look at what you’ve seen as a whole – look at the potential. When you recruit 19-year-olds, you’re basing yourself on potential. No one arrives and dominates the NBA at 19. Nobody. Even Kobe Bryant didn’t really take off until his third year and he wasn’t a pivot. Joel Embiid missed his first two years with an injury. These expectations are too high. ”
The No. 2 pick of the last draft played 39 small games this season, held back by physical glitches. Last year, the 19-year-old played just 3 games with Memphis. He’s averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season. If his offensive impact has sometimes been interesting, showing the beginnings of a nice connection with Curry, he has very often suffered on the other side of the floor. Its 2020-2021 fiscal year was then stopped in April. When we look at picks 1 and 3 of the 2020 draft, LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards, which surrounded Wiseman, the observation is cold in the back.
“The path we want to take counts”, Lacob said. “The guy in Charlotte, LaMelo Ball, great player, he had a great season. He probably deserves the Rookie of the Year award, but I could tell Anthony Edwards too. We thought they were great players, too. Would they have known the same years with us? Context defines things. I do not know. Would you have had the same opportunity to put him forward as Anthony Edwards? I do not know. I do not think so. It counts.
“They have great stats… I look forward to three or four years. What is this guy going to bring to this team for the next decade, and I think the guy we recruited is going to be awesome. I think he’s going to be an All-Star level player. Nothing that I have seen this year touches that conviction. It actually encouraged me a lot. Would I have liked to see him get a better start and finish better, not be injured? Yes. But I think overall we’re very happy with him. ”
Alongside Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, Wiseman will have all of next season to take off on the Bay side, ultimately perhaps silencing the critics, and meeting the immense expectations he faces.
Via NBC Sports
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