Getty Images Warriors star Draymond Green.
Draymond Green came to the defense of Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman but also sent a message to the young big man.
Wiseman has had some uneven performances at NBA Summer League, drawing some criticism. But Green defended his performance, citing that he’s still finding his flow because he’s been limited since “like 2018.”
“We got the big fella back out there, James Wiseman,” Green said on Thursday’s episode of his podcast. “I think Wiseman looks very good out there, especially with all things being considered.
“James Wiseman really hasn’t played basketball since, like, 2018. Because if you think about it, he played, what, [three] games his year at Memphis and he sat the rest of the year. He played like [40] games his rookie year in the NBA, missed the rest of that year. And then, obviously, missed all of last year and now he’s just now getting back.”
However, Green also had a message for the 7-footer when it comes to his rebounding.
“I know there was a lot of talk around the first game, ‘Oh, he had two rebounds.’ Don’t get me wrong, that was the first thing I looked at too. Wise, you can’t have two rebounds,” Green said. “Rebounding is a timing thing. Rebounding is not just I’m tall, I’m long, I can jump, I’m athletic. Rebounding is timing. And for someone that hasn’t played basketball since 2018 … your timing is probably messed up because that’s four years and change of not consistently played basketball. … I would never excuse James Wiseman having two rebounds, nor do I think James Wiseman would excuse it.”
Wiseman Responds With Solid Outing Against OKC
Green’s comments came before Golden State’s most recent Summer League outing, in which Wiseman notched 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one block in 21 minutes.
Wiseman acknowledged he heard the message from Green and took it to heart prior to the matchup.
“I was like, ‘Aw, f—, I’ve got to get 7 to 10 rebounds,’” Wiseman said. “I can’t settle for two because I’m 7-1. I’ve got to make sure I’m aggressive down there. I can’t get pushed around. … That (Green) is the OG, so I most definitely have to take that personally.”
Warriors Still Bullish on Wiseman Going Forward
The Warriors have been involved in some trade rumors and Wiseman is a prime piece Golden State could use to negotiate a deal. However, it sounds Golden State is happy to see Wiseman healthy and learning.
“Just seeing him out there with a smile on his face is great to see,” Warriors assistant GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. said during an in-game interview. “You can see the talent, the size, the length, the speed. For him, it’s just catching up and learning the game.”
Another interesting piece for the Warriors is Jonathan Kuminga, who hopes he and Wiseman are key pieces for Golden State for a decade-plus.
“Hopefully we play like that together for like the next 10 years, 15 years,” Kuminga said. “Just building our chemistry at a young age, it means a lot.”
The Warriors have one more Summer League game on the schedule against the Wizards on July 17.