When Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors drafted James Wiseman second overall in 2020, there were huge expectations that he'd be the face of the franchise after Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Three seasons later, however, he's gone from the Dubs.
The Warriors traded Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Saddiq Bey. After which, they sent Bey to the Atlanta Hawks for five second-round picks, which they used to acquire Gary Payton II back from the Portland Trail Blazers.
It's definitely not what Kerr or Wiseman imagined how the Warriors partnership would go, but at the end of the day, there were just too much factors that got in the big man's way. Aside from injury, Wiseman just didn't fit the Dubs' timeline since they have always been in win-now mode when he arrived.
Kerr admitted as much as well when speaking to reporters on Monday, emphasizing that it was just hard to give the big man the opportunities he needed to grow.
“It was just difficult for me to give James the runway that he needed,” Kerr said when asked why Wiseman didn't work with Golden State, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
In the 60 games James Wiseman played for the Warriors, he averaged 9.9 points and 5.0 rebounds. He missed the whole 2021-22 season due to knee injury, though he did show flashes of brilliance when given the opportunity. In fact, in his first two games with the Dubs in 2020, he put up a combined 37 points, 14 rebounds, two steals and three blocks.
Unfortunately, as Steve Kerr said, Wiseman just didn't have more chances after he got injured and the Warriors got fully healthy again.
Here's to hoping that he gets the chance he deserves in the Pistons. He fits better with Detroit's timeline since the team is rebuilding, though he will have to outplay the other bigs on the roster.
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