The Dubs are way better than they were last year, but its hard to look at Kuminga and wonder what went wrong with Wiseman last year. Kuminga just dives to the rim and cleans up, I wonder what Wiseman would look like in that role this year?
It’s a good question. I think the key differences are some combo of:
1. Wiseman was thrown into the fray with only three games of college experience plus zero training camp due to covid, whereas JK had a full season with G-League ignite and a proper training camp; and was brought along slowly and carefully, with a couple of Santa Cruz stints to get him plenty of burn while he was still figuring things out. The Ws also added a couple of key members to their development staff this past off-season in anticipation of the need to develop Kuminga, Wiseman and Moody.
2. This edition of the Warriors has more players who get Kerrball principles, with high IQ vets like Andre, Otto, JTA, Bjelica, and GP2 replacing questionable fits like Oubre, Paschall, Mulder and Mannion — which makes it easier to mix in minutes for the young guys while keeping the system chugging along.
3. Kuminga actually does a lot more than just “drive to the rim and clean up” — he’s also a switchable 6-8 wing-forward who can guard 1-5, which makes him more immediately playable on D than a somewhat awkward (even if freakishly athletic) 7-1 center who still has not figured out when to switch and when to drop, how much to gap quick guys, how to avoid dumb fouls, etc.
Anyway, I still think Wiseman has a chance to be really good; it’s just gonna take time. Losing two training camps and most of his sophomore season to covid/meniscus surgery is rough for a guy that young. And yeah, @BSF, it’s tantalizing to ponder an alt universe Warriors with LaMelo (who apparently had a lot of supporters among the Warriors brass at the time of the draft) in place of Wiseman. LeMelo + Poole + Moody + Kuminga could have been a ridiculously good young core going forward. But I want to see Wiseman actually play for a stretch before kicking myself too hard…