The decision to remove James Wiseman from the Golden State Warriors' starting lineup is not a permanent one, coach Steve Kerr said on Wednesday. The promising 19-year-old center came off the bench for the first time this season in the Warriors' 130-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Although Kerr didn't say exactly say when he'll assign Wiseman back to his first five, he did offer some assurance (via Cody Taylor of Yahoo Sports).
“He’ll be back (in the starting lineup) at some point. I don’t know when that will be. I think a big part of this season for the coaching staff is to navigate the balance between trying to be a playoff team and not wasting any time developing James. The decision last game was just, ‘Okay, let’s find that balance.'”
Following a short but impressive college career with the University of Memphis, Wiseman was selected second overall by the Warriors in last year's NBA draft. He lived up to the high ceiling immediately, giving the Dubs a true anchor they have been missing over the last few years.
The seven-foot slotman averaged 11.9 points per game on 51.3 percent shooting from the field, along with 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks heading to the Warriors' rematch with the Timberwolves.
But as effective as he has been so far, his inexperience has also been exposed several times. Wiseman has been guilty of missing rotations defensively and looking out of place in offensive sets.
Steve Kerr used veteran big man Kevon Looney as a starter in their last outing, which resulted in a convincing victory. James Wiseman played just 16 minutes but reinforced the second unit to the tune of 13 points, four rebounds, and two blocks.
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