In the short term, the Warriors could not be worse, ending a collective performance as bad as possible in their first two games and inspiring some very punctual quotes from Steph Curry. But in the long run? James Wiseman gives this eliminated team an extremely necessary lifeline. It only happened twice, but it is fair to say that Wiseman exceeded expectations. Steve Kerr is already talking about more playing time, saying, “His minutes are going to get longer.” No sensible person is questioning this.
The main surprise that Wiseman brought to the table was his chance. Based on his percentage of AAU free throws and his brief game in college, there was little reason to expect outside shots. Typically, great traditional men spend a few seasons working to the point of hoisting confidently from the depths. Since coming into action in the NBA for the first time, without the help of the Summer League or the pre-season, Wiseman has seemed calm since …