James Wiseman’s latest G League assignment isn’t a demotion or punishment by any means, but both the Warriors and the 7-foot-1 center know he has plenty to work on during his time in Santa Cruz.
Wiseman had a solid game in his season debut with the Sea Dubs on Saturday night, finishing with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and 1-of-2 from behind the arc, along with 11 rebounds, a steal and a block in 25 minutes in the loss to the South Bay Lakers.
But some of his struggles with the Warriors were replicated on Saturday.
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Wiseman turned the ball over twice and committed five fouls. His plus/minus rating was minus-13 in the loss, the worst among Santa Cruz starters.
The big man was visibly upset and frustrated with himself after some of those calls late in the game -- something he admits he's trying to work on.
“I want to get everything right so if I make a mistake, I kind of get down,” Wiseman told Madeline Kenney of The Mercury News after the game. “But that’s not going to help me. So I just want to make sure I use my perfectionism in terms of my craft instead of just using it on the court and just making sure every time I mess up on the court, make a mistake -- just next-play mentality.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he sent the former No. 2 overall pick to Santa Cruz so he could get more reps, help with his development and gain confidence that can match his potential.
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Playing in more games with the Sea Dubs could help him do just that.
The Warriors have maintained their confidence in the big man, including owner Joe Lacob, who showed his support on Saturday with a courtside seat at Wiseman's season debut in Santa Cruz.
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Wiseman is expected to play "at least" 10 days in Santa Cruz, so he'll likely join the Sea Dubs on the road for back-to-back games against the Salt Lake City Stars on Monday and Tuesday.
While the Warriors are trying to work through their own struggles, they're hoping their 7-foot center can help contribute with them soon enough.