After their fourth NBA championship in eight years, the Golden State Warriors will be looking to get one for the thumb in 2023.
They certainly have the roster to get it done, but they will need more contributions from certain players.
One of those players is James Wiseman, a 7-foot, 240-pound center who didn’t play at all this past season due to injury.
As a rookie in 2021, he showed promise, and he has the potential to help the Warriors with a couple of their biggest weaknesses.
More Size Up Front
At times during the playoffs, the Warriors looked a bit short and small up front, as they had a lack of rotation players who were taller than 6-foot-8.
This issue was especially glaring during the NBA Finals versus the Boston Celtics, as Golden State had to deal with Robert Williams and Al Horford, both of whom are strong defensive centers who block shots.
Wiseman is a big body who can score inside, and he is a very strong finisher, as evidenced by his 84 dunks in 2021 despite playing just 39 games.
He can throw down dunks off lob passes, score a bit in the low post and even off his own dribble.
Wiseman also runs the floor well, which will make him an outstanding target for Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in the Warriors’ feared transition game.
So close to James Wiseman back to playing basketball pic.twitter.com/ZVWZkpdCqQ
— Alex 👋 (@Dubs408) July 8, 2022
In his rookie season, he averaged 11.5 points in 21.4 minutes while shooting 51.9 percent from the field.
His 5.8 rebounds per game also showed his potential as a rebounder, which will help prevent bigger and stronger front lines from getting second shots against Golden State.
By averaging 0.9 blocks per game, Wiseman also proved he can protect the rim, something the team can use help with.
James Wiseman looking disciplined on defense. These are major flashes https://t.co/htfSCoQhHs pic.twitter.com/H72Z0NZ5ZT
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) July 11, 2022
The Warriors were just 18th in the NBA this past season with 4.5 rejections per game, and improving in that department will allow them to defend the paint better.
Wiseman’s offensive presence inside can also help open things up for Curry and Klay Thompson so they won’t have to work as hard to get good shots on a consistent basis.
It will be interesting to see how head coach Steve Kerr uses Wiseman this coming season, especially in the Warriors’ halfcourt sets.
Wiseman Can Also Help In Another Area
This offseason, Golden State has lost some frontcourt depth, as Juan Toscano-Anderson, Nemanja Bjelica and Otto Porter Jr. all left in free agency.
As a result, it’s possible Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga may have to play more minutes at the 4 to make up for the players who have departed.
When the Warriors go small at the guard and forward spots, could Kerr sometimes play Wiseman with such lineups to prevent the Warriors from getting exposed defensively and on the boards, especially against certain teams?
They did well winning the world title by playing small much of the time, but Wiseman can allow them to play more traditional lineups without losing much in the way of speed or athleticism.
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