Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is practicing patience with his newcomers this season. While the Warriors were able to select James Wiseman with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Kerr is in no rush to fast-lane the 19-year-old into veteran expectations.
Kerr spoke Wednesday in regards to Wiseman's potential and how the franchise won't rush his development simply because they're limited on bigs at the moment.
Via ESPN's Nick Friedell:
Thought this was an interesting comparison from Kerr in regard to where Wiseman's development is right now: "Picture David Robinson as a sophomore at Navy, that's the guy you're comparing him to. Not the All-Star with the Spurs."
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) December 16, 2020
While Wiseman was a high-caliber player that many clubs believed could bring in ready-now talent, it still doesn't excuse his lack of college experience prior to declaring for the NBA Draft.
Wiseman only played a total of three games with the Memphis Tigers. During that short span, the newest member of the Warriors averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and three blocks per game. He ended up having to leave Memphis following an investigation into his mother receiving money from Penny Hardaway, head coach of the Tigers.
The comparison to David Robinson comes with high respect to Wiseman given the monumental name he's being mentioned with by Kerr. While Kerr's not jumping the gun on Wiseman's development, the story has already been written on Robinson's impactful career.
Wiseman missed the Warriors' first two preseason games due to his recovery from COVID-19. While he's since been cleared to return to practice, it's likely that he'll also miss the final preseason game against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.
Though it doesn't provide the full sample size, he's received high praise from fellow teammate Draymond Green during practice as well, which could suggest that Wiseman is ready to take the floor when the Warriors open up their regular season schedule against the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 22.
Follow Us
Subscribe