James Wiseman was marvelous, fantastic, and dominant in the Warriors’ preseason win over the Wizards Friday in Japan.
Yes, it was an exhibition, but one could argue that it was the Warriors’ young center’s best game as a professional.
But Friday’s performance wasn’t revelatory.
Wiseman’s 20-point, nine-rebound game was impressive, yes, but he has impressed before in his NBA (and G League) career.
We have known for a while that Wiseman can be exactly what the Warriors need from the center position: someone who can run the floor, protect the rim, and play above it on the offensive end. We’ve seen it in spurts throughout his career.
The question is, can he consistently be that kind of player?
Or, more specifically, can he stay on the court long enough to establish a baseline as an NBA player?
Injuries aren’t fair, but neither is the NBA. This is the year for Wiseman to prove that he is not only talented but can be trusted on a nightly basis. It’s the final season of guaranteed money on his rookie contract.
The Warriors, always in a luxury tax crunch, wouldn’t think twice about not exercising Wiseman’s fourth-year option should he fail to establish a foothold this season.
The good news for Wiseman is that the Warriors appear keen to provide him with the best opportunity to make an impact.
It’s just one game — a preseason game — but the Warriors showed an increased rate of pick-and-roll, particularly when Wiseman was playing with Steph Curry.
That’s going to work for Wiseman. And it worked for the Warriors, too.
Most importantly, the Warriors wanted to play the way that would maximize Wiseman on Friday. There’s no reason to see that style of basketball changing in the weeks and months to come.
Wiseman will be given every opportunity to show off that prodigious talent this season as he did Friday.
Can he? Will he? That’s why we watch the games.
Other thoughts on the Warriors’ preseason debut:
• Andre Iguodala, as per usual, was right: The Warriors’ second unit has appeared to improve year-over-year.
It’s not just Wiseman, either. Donte DiVincenzo is going to be a cult hero in the Bay after this season. Mark it down.
No one can replace Gary Payton II — an enigma of a player — but DiVincenzo has the athleticism to be a reasonable facsimile as a perimeter defender, and he will likely bring something more to the table as an offensive player. He just fits what the Warriors want and need.
Moses Moody had an outsized role Friday with Klay Thompson not playing, but he has committed to a 3-and-D lifestyle. He looked good.
JaMychal Green didn’t flash Friday, but we know from his decade in the NBA that he will provide as a stretch 4 and sometimes 5.
The most interesting depth player was Jonathan Kuminga, who played a lot of small forward Friday. That’s not going to be where he thrives, but the Dubs have to keep putting him in positions where he can handle the ball and defend on the perimeter. Kuminga will likely find his calling as a smallball center and athletic four — think Aaron Gordon — but he has the potential to be more than that. He needs to be challenged if that potential is ever to be reached.
• I was impressed by what I saw from the Warriors’ rookies Friday.
Ryan Rollins looked smooth running the point in the second half. The Warriors eschewed adding a veteran point guard because they believe in Rollins to handle third-string duties (they come up quite a bit). That looks like a good bet. For a player in his first NBA game, going up against legitimate NBA competition, he saw the floor well and showed the necessary burst to break down defenses. The Warriors haven’t developed a true point guard since Curry. Rollins stands a significantly better chance of sticking than Nico Mannion (overwhelmed by NBA speed, strength) and Jacob Evans (not athletic enough).
Patrick Baldwin Jr. doesn’t need to play in the NBA this season — the Warriors can stash him in the G League and let him really develop — but his shot is NBA-ready.
We, of course, suspected that when he was drafted, but you don’t really know until you see it in a game. You can put him in a corner, and he’ll be a successful player, but Baldwin has a chance to be a truly lethal pick-and-pop player.
Both players look the part. That’s a great start.
