What to do with James Wiseman of the Warriors

CJ Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks the Warriors (25-24) have no plans to drop James Wiseman, despite a rocky start to his career.

“I don’t think they’re ready to give up the James Wiseman experience,” Holmes said.

The second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft has played just 58 games but is already receiving comparisons to infamous NBA bust Greg Oden.

In 19 games this season, the seven-footer is averaging 6.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and shooting 60% from the field. All of those numbers are down from his rookie season, when he played just 39 games before suffering a major knee injury that sidelined him for the rest of this season and next.

Not only are Wiseman’s stats down from his rookie season. His minutes are also significantly reduced.

As a rookie, he averaged 21.4 minutes compared to 12.7 this season. It’s odd for a young player, as teams usually increase the number of minutes as a player develops.

To develop, however, Wiseman needs minutes against NBA competition. A 21-year-old sitting at the end of the bench does nothing for the Warriors this year – especially if he could be returned for another play.

Last week, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr had this to say on 95.7 The Game, a Bay Area sports station: