Getty Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr speaks with big man James Wiseman during a game against the Indiana Pacers.
James Wiseman had Dub Nation in a tizzy on Thursday night when he made his hotly anticipated return to the hardwood in the G League. Although the Golden State Warriors big man hadn’t played in an actual game in 11 months, he looked dominant at times for Santa Cruz.
In just 20 minutes of action against the Stockton Kings, Wiseman scored 18 points on 13 shots and added six boards. Meanwhile, the Sea Dubs outscored the Kings by nine points when he was on the court.
He’ll have another chance to make an impression on Sunday when Golden State’s affiliate club plays host to the G League Ignite at Chase Center. According to Warriors coach Steve Kerr, the former No. 2 overall pick’s efforts in the game will help determine his next steps.
“Some of it will depend on how things go for him Sunday,” Kerr said during a Friday appearance on KNBR. “How his body responds from [Thursday] night and Sunday’s game. We’ll just kind of take it a day at a time.”
Once Wiseman is finally back in the fold, though, Kerr will have a lot to consider regarding how he’ll be used.
Coach Kerr’s Dilemma
Reports have indicated that it’s unlikely Wiseman will be a big part of the rotation once he’s back with the Warriors. However, there are careful considerations to be made before Kerr just defaults to not playing him.
It’s not lost on the coach that his team needs to win as many games as it can in order to maintain a favorable playoff seed, especially with the middle of the pack in the West looking so dangerous. Still, Wiseman’s electrifying potential practically demands playing time.
“You know, [with] 15 games left, we’re trying to win every game to improve our playoff seeding,” Kerr said of the balancing act. “And yet, this guy is so talented we want to get him out on the floor. And so, we’re going to try to do that. I’m sure we will.”
For him, it’s all about identifying the situations where both the needs of Wiseman and the needs of the team in terms of winning and losing can both be met.
“We have to figure out what’s the combination, who he’s out there with, at what point of the game will we put him out there, how long we will play him for. All these things are to be determined.”
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Warriors Bringing Same Crew to Bucks Game
The Warriors have an opportunity to turn their two-game upswing into a legitimate win streak on Saturday night. To do so, however, they’ll have to get the better of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Bucks, a team that stomped them 118-99 in January.
Unfortunately, they won’t be getting any extra help for the effort. As relayed by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater on the eve of the showdown, Draymond Green, Gary Payton II, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr. all remain out.
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