Stephen Curry had some words of encouragement for James Wiseman.
The Warriors lost to the Cavaliers tonight but have to prepare for their back-to-back matchup against the Detroit Pistons. The Warriors traded 2020 No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman to the Pistons in the winter of 2022, and Stephen Curry is excited to catch up with his former teammate. Curry also believes Wiseman will figure out a role in the NBA soon.
“I haven’t talked to him so I don’t know where his head is at. He’s a great dude and was a great teammate when he was with us… I know he’s not playing much but it’s a challenge he’s facing in understanding how he can continue to get better and force them to play him. Knowing him, I have extreme confidence in him to figure it out… His story is still developing, nobody is putting a pin in that. He’s a young dude, super talented, and works hard. I’m confident he’ll be able to figure it out, just a matter of when.”
Wiseman has fallen out of the Pistons rotation, with new head coach Monty Williams playing Jalen Duren and Marvin Bagley ahead of Wiseman. In tonight’s loss against the Suns, Wiseman was the only player to be left on the bench as a DNP Coaches Decision, which shows Monty may not be a fan of what Wiseman brings to the table.
He averaged 12.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 24 games with the Pistons last season. While many expected Wiseman to get an opportunity to lock up the starting center spot, it seems Jalen Duren’s early-season form has ended that dream for Wiseman.