Steve Kerr made it clear after the Warriors’ loss to the LA Clippers on Thursday night that James Wiseman will be in the unit that starts the second and fourth quarters moving forward.
Kerr was also definitive with another variable related to general choice No. 2 in the 2020 project.
“His minutes are going to get longer,” said Kerr of Wiseman. “His minutes are going to increase. I’ll leave it at that.”
So when you take everything into account and connect a few points, it sure sounds like Wiseman – who started the Warriors’ first 16 games before he started off the bench – he could very well be back on the starting lineup on Sunday against Rudy Gobert and Utah Jazz in the first place.
Interestingly, the 7-foot player’s last start was on January 23 in Utah, when the Dubs had a bad start, falling behind by 17 points in just a few minutes of play.
It’s a very difficult match for a 20-year-old, but you better see how he handles it, right?
Now you must be asking yourself – why not keep starting Kevon Looney and getting Wiseman into the game in the middle of the first quarter like he has been doing?
Well, that would mean that the newbie would be on the ground for about 12 consecutive minutes – and I am assuming that the coaching staff is opposed to this scenario.
As for that Looney, it will be interesting to see what his role will become. If Wiseman does return to the starting unit, it is possible that Looney will play the last six or seven minutes of the first and third quarters.
But there is a scenario in which Eric Paschall and Draymond Green play four and five, respectively, during these stretches, and Looney is removed from the rotation entirely.
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Kerr loves the 25-year-old and trusts him completely. He knows what Looney brings to the table and can call his number at any time. But don’t be surprised if the big-time veteran joins Damion Lee in the unfortunate position of needing to sacrifice himself while the coaching staff tries out various combinations.
“I would love to have everyone participate in the rotation. It’s just not possible,” said Kerr after Thursday’s defeat when asked about Lee. “I love all these guys. They all deserve to play. They are good enough to play. But It is not how it works.
“Each game will be a little different. Everyone on our team needs to be ready to go.”
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