Warriors Superstar Sees Bright Future for Young Guns
Sensationalism has really diminished our view on how long it takes for players to get good. For Warriors fans in particular, so much recent success has led plenty of people to believe that the time is now to sell the farm and the future for the next 3 years in order to chase titles when the team is well-equipped without another role player.
Golden State’s blueprint is entirely home-grown. There’s been no need to have league-ready guys right out of the gate, and now that they’re there, a lot of people want to be the critics. “We should trade Wiseman, Moody, Kuminga and/or picks to get another star or more veteran role-players” is, while sensible to a degree, not in line with the Warriors culture.
Take, for example, Stephen Curry.
In an article recently for GQ that interviewed the Warriors dynasty-defining leader, Curry had a lot of notable quotes. Perhaps the most notable, however, was his view for the Warriors’ recent draft picks in the last few years. For guard and Curry understudy Jordan Poole, he was envisioned as an all-star. Jonathan Kuminga, the hyper-athletic wing with great physical tools but a need to learn more of the game, is prophesied as an All-Defensive player.
And James Wiseman, according to Steph, is going to be an MVP candidate.
A lot of draft comparisons had him in the Hassan Whiteside, DeAndre Jordan category of athletic shotblockers who couldn’t do much else besides rim-run. This already makes Wiseman actually a pretty solid fit with the Warriors: Kevon Looney’s lack of height has cost him shots around the rim where he will often have to put up a contested layup. With a center who’s standing reach only requires him to jump 6 inches off the ground to reach the rim (9’6, for the math-impaired like me), those paint dump-offs are now lobs, and those contested layups are posters. Looney’s been great, but height never hurt for a team that gets beat up on the inside, even with Draymond Green as the anchor.
People like to say that Kuminga, as a wing, is dripping with potential. This is true, and he very well could be the centerpiece moving forward. But when you look at Wiseman, there’s one NBA big man that you can see he projects similarly to if he continues to work on his skill around the rim, in the midrange, and capitalizes on a good-looking jumper to space the floor. He’s incredibly athletic, is 7’1 with an incredible 7’6 wingspan, and he’s already shown flashes of being very skilled to complement that.
So I’ll call my shot. If Steph Curry (as a basketball savant) is right about Wiseman’s MVP candidacy, he will be the next Joel Embiid.
Some common criticisms of Embiid when he was drafted? Prototypical frame for a center, very athletic and high potential, but lacked game awareness and skill. He was a foul and turnover machine simply because he was raw in terms of his basketball IQ. That’s very, very similar to where Wiseman is now. While Wiseman was skinnier at 230 pounds coming into the league, there’s been a lot of reporting on him having put on around 10 pounds of muscle.
Wiseman may not end up being Embiid, but if the Warriors prioritize his development as the next face of the franchise and he buys into learning, that is absolutely near his ceiling.
As for Kuminga and Poole, their talent is already starting to show. Kuminga has had flashes of phenomenal defense, already foregoing what most young players make a bad habit of by not gambling. He’s disciplined, and it seems like that end of the floor is really his calling card. At his peak, he should be able to guard 1-5. If he can develop a jumper to complement his straight-line drive, he will absolutely be a weapon. He could even be the next Draymond Green if he soaks in enough knowledge.
Poole is the most proven of the young group. Just in this season alone, and especially versus this time last year when he was sent to the G-League for some development that ultimately REALLY helped him, his shot selection and decision-making has improved a lot. He’s still a bit of a streaky scorer, but his ability to play both on and off-ball has improved drastically. You can see where he gets it from, as he’s learning from one of the best scorers to ever do it.
Regardless of how the dynasty continues (and it probably will), it’s clear that Steph and company have a lot of faith in what the franchise is doing here. The Warriors can absolutely win a ring with the team they have now without selling out their development and their future. At the end of the day, the players who helped build this franchise know best: It’s time to trust the front office and the superstars who support them.
(Photo credit: Noah Graham / Getty Images)