To Rick Butcher
FOX Sports NBA Writer
Player performance in the Summer League generally doesn’t make much sense to the team just captured. NBA Championship.
James Wiseman And that Golden State Warriors The obvious exception.
Image of Wiseman, a 7-foot center with elite athletics and a 7-foot-6 wingspan. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson When Draymond Green It has captivated the team and its fans since the night of the 2020 NBA Draft, when the Golden State chose him in second place overall.
The image was refocused last week when Wiseman made his first national television appearance nearly 16 months after returning from a meniscus tear in his right knee. Within the first 70 seconds, he shattered an alley-oop dunk shot, blocked the shot at the other end, and casually filled the three pointers.
Focusing on that short run and shining light on the details and the rest of the night can cause dizziness for Warriors fans. This is the direction headlines and television stations took when describing Wiseman’s performance. San Antonio Spurs..Live broadcast station CelticsThe game said Wiseman had a “great match” against the Spurs, and the dotcom headline “Wiseman impresses with the 2022 NBA Summer League debut.”
However, Warriors assistant GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. accused him of being asked in an in-game interview what was most memorable about Wiseman. “It’s great just to look at him with a smile on his face,” he said. “You can see talent, size, length and speed. For him, it’s just catching up and learning the game.”
Oh yes, learn the game. That means you know how to take advantage of that talent, size, length, and speed. You can see the nasty details here.Wiseman, mostly against Spurs’ 6ft 9 undrafted center Dominique Barlow11 points in 20 minutes, 2 rebounds, 2 block shots and 3 turnovers.
His numbers were more balanced against the Celtics two nights later, resulting in 6 points, 7 rebounds and 3 block shots near 21 minutes, but 21 points at the Celtics Center’s Fion de Cavenguere. 13 rebounds, 2 blocked shots in 28 minutes.
Of course, stats and box scores can be misleading, and the Warriors don’t have to submit triple-doubles for Wiseman to defend the title next season. They’ve been pulled as starters in the middle of the rookie year, suffered a knee injury, and haven’t done anything since he missed everything last season except for three appearances with the team’s G League affiliate Santa. Cruz Warriors need to show that they have made progress.
So FOX Sports asked them to investigate four rival scouts on the courtside with Wiseman’s long-awaited appearance in Las Vegas and evaluate what they saw and their expectations for him. Perhaps not surprisingly, the reaction was clearly mixed when it came to optimism and pessimism about his future.
Eastern Conference Scouts offered the brightest and most common takeaways.
“He had some good moments,” he said. “His body looks good, his midrange jumper looks good, he’s still a little raw, but he’s working well. He has a real chance.”
The second Eastern Conference Scout was a little more skeptical.
“It’s not a good sign that Kavenguere kicked his ass,” said one Eastern Conference scout frankly. “”[Wiseman] A good empty gym training player. The actual game is the part he is struggling with. He has so many stamina that he would be surprised if he wasn’t a decent player in the end. But he is now far away, and there are probably some flaws that prevent him from reaching his expected potential. “
The scout, who was asked to identify those flaws, said: “Slow response, poor instinct, poor touch around the basket, although not dunk. High center of gravity and weak hands.”
Western Conference scouts pointed out other issues.
“He’s still struggling with quick reaction moves. I’m not sure about his footwork. The jumpers around him have improved, but it takes time and space to be effective. His dribble attack Limited. A single bounce attack is solid, but multiple dribbles are an adventure. “
However, the same scout expected that the combination of Warriors’ elite coaching staff and player talent could find a way to harness even the raw abilities of Wiseman.
“His simple offensive game will be enhanced by playing with elite veterans,” he said. “If you have a team that can change both tactics and personality, it’s a golden state. They have coaching and veteran qualities to find productive solutions.”
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What made the Warriors attack particularly effective was to find a Big Man with strong court vision and pass skills, or a player who could play big. This allows shooters, led by Curry and Thompson, to find gaps in the defense moving without the ball.That’s why Green is the team leader who assists the center in 6 of the last 7 seasons. Kevon Looney The final against the Celtics ended with 16 assists, the third highest in the team.
So far, Wiseman has not shown that getting the ball as a playmaker is a particularly healthy strategy. In his 39 games as a rookie, he had 26 assists and 60 turnovers.In his two Las Vegas Summer League games, he registered one assist, a pass Jonathan Kuminga Right wing that Kuminga sliced between two Celtics defenders in a power dribble for layup.
“He doesn’t feel like passing and the ball can stick to his hand,” admitted the scout at the first Eastern Conference. “He can’t pass over the floor like Draymond, and even dribble handoffs aren’t fluid, giving the guys a look. He takes a few minutes, but sacrifices a style that encourages Steph. And then [Jordan] Pool And Clay. “
Western Conference scouts argued that the Warriors could benefit from a secondary attack tailored to Wiseman’s strengths.
“The different things don’t have to get worse,” he said. “Sometimes it’s different. It’s different. [from what he can contribute]It’s true, it puts real pressure on the dive rim, but it’s currently lacking. Has the ability to play vertical games and has access to new weapons. We trust the Warriors to solve this conundrum and turn it into an asset. “
How fast you believe the Warriors can determine whether they will challenge or not. League executives have speculated for months that Golden State could package Wiseman into a deal with a player of less likely but more direct value. The goal is to maximize title chances before Core (Curry (34), Thompson (32), Green (32)) gives Father Time an irreparable basis.
The Golden State may also move in another direction to win more titles. Rumors continue about the possibility of Kevin Durant returning to the Bay Area.
Steph Curry reportedly contacted KD about the reunion.
NBA analyst Ric Bucher joins First Things First, Stephen Curry contacts Kevin Durant several times, “increasing the chances of winning the fifth championship and surpassing LeBron James. I want to. ”
Perhaps the most difficult factor in assessing Wiseman’s potential is that he spends little time playing.He left Memphis Programd three games later in protest of being interrupted by the NCAA as Penny Hardaway, who had acted as a booster before becoming a Tigers coach, helped the Wiseman family move from Nashville to Memphis. He has played a total of 45 games over the last three years, including three stints at the Tigers and Santa Claus.
But his decision to end his college career questioned Western Conference scouts as to whether Wiseman was physically fit or passionate about basketball.
“He has a bright future as a very good modern big — if he is devoted,” he said. “But he has to choose the game and prove that the game didn’t choose him.”
The Las Vegas Summer League is unlikely to provide a definitive answer.
“Skills are there, motor traits are there — in a short stint in the Summer League,” said the third Eastern Conference Scout. “He didn’t play against or play with NBA players. It’s the Summer League. It’s important that he’s healthy now. Further judgments are distorted.”
However, the NBA clock that starts when a player joins the league does not have a pause button. It doesn’t matter why the player’s growth was hindered. New crops of challengers arrive every year and are enthusiastic about overcoming what came before them. Two more draft classes breathe into Wiseman’s neck, including this year’s second pick and a 7-foot shot blocker. Chet HolmgrenConfront Wiseman on Friday.
Yes, it’s only the Summer League. But if you want to show that Wiseman can contribute, he’s better than the latest second overall pick, not only three years later, but also as an NBA player, but also as part of the official championship. It’s not a bad thing to show that. Where to start.
Ric Bucher is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. He previously contributed to the Breacher Report, ESPN The Magazine, and the Washington Post, with NBA forward Brian Grant and the story of the fight against premature Parkinson’s disease, “Rebound” and “Yao Ming: Two Worlds.” I’m writing two books, “Life of Life”. Yao Ming of the NBA Center. He also has a daily podcast, “On The Ball with Ric Bucher.” Follow him on Twitter @RicBucher..
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