The defending champion Golden State Warriors have sputtered to a 6-8 record out of the gate and are struggling to get consistent contributions from players lower in the rotation.
And it’s cost one of them a roster spot.
Coach Steve Kerr announced that center James Wiseman would be sent down to Santa Cruz, the team’s G-League affiliate after Golden State’s 132-95 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.
“We will keep him there for an extended period to get really good practice time and some games,” Kerr told reporters after the victory. “It’s not going to be one game and bring him back, we want to give him 10 straight days, something like that, and then come back.”
Wiseman, 21, played just nine minutes against the Spurs on Monday, and had not participated in any of the past three games. So far he’s averaged 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds over 11 games. The 7-foot-1 center played in 39 games his rookie year and missed the entire 2021-22 season with a torn meniscus. This season has not yet resulted in the kind of progress Wiseman or the Warriors had hoped for, but Kerr is confident the big man will find his way.
“It’s really hard for anybody to be in and out of the lineup, but for a young guy who’s been through a lot already, it’s a lot to go through,” Kerr said. “But this is part of his journey. Everybody’s got a different one. Part of his is he barely played any basketball before he got to the NBA and he had a major injury. What I love about James is that he’s got incredible character, work ethic and care for the team.
“[He’s] an unbelievable teammate. before the game, he knew he wasn’t going to be part of the rotation, [but] he was helping [Kevon] Looney prepare for the game with Looney’s workouts, defending him. Wise is all in on the team and because of his talent, because of all those characteristics, I’m a huge believer that long term, he’s going to be a really good player.”