Warriors’ Steve Kerr Believes Rookie James Wiseman Needs to Channel Frustration into his Game

Published 01/20/2021, 7:30 AM EST

James Wiseman is one of the most highly touted recruits in the NBA today. After playing only three games for Memphis University, Wiseman was considered one of the biggest prospects entering the NBA. In the 2020 NBA Draft, Wiseman went to the Golden State Warriors as the second pick in the draft.

Steve Kerr confident in Wiseman’s ability

Since joining the Warriors, Wiseman has had his struggles. While he has had good games, consistency has been hard to come by for him. For Wiseman, it has been a frustrating period since joining the Warriors. But head coach Steve Kerr is not concerned about his performances.

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Kerr believes that this a period of adjustment for Wiseman. He said that he understands the frustration Wiseman is going through, but he needs to use it to improve his play. He even praised Wiseman for being one of the finest young players to coach in the NBA right now.

Does Steve Kerr think James Wiseman's frustration is impacting his play? "Yeah. Absolutely it's affecting him. But again, it's OK. If he was not frustrated, I'd be really worried. The frustration just needs to be channeled into work … what a great young guy to work with."
— Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) January 20, 2021

Kerr said, “Yeah. Absolutely it’s affecting him. But again, it’s OK. If he was not frustrated, I’d be really worried. The frustration just needs to be channeled into work … what a great young guy to work with.”

Wiseman was a projected top-three draft pick and went number two overall. Since joining the Warriors, Wiseman has shown glimpses of his potential. At 7’1, Wiseman is a good shooter from a distance, a rare attribute for a player of his size. Additionally, he has proven to be a great pick and roll partner for Stephen Curry.

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James Wiseman – Future Warriors’ centerpiece

Since the start of the season, Wiseman has already established himself as a starter for the Warriors. This season, James Wiseman is averaging 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block per game. In addition to this, he’s shooting 40% from the three-point line, and doing all this while playing only 20 minutes per game.

James Wiseman has the potential to be the Warriors’ franchise player as they move into the future. He has veteran mentorship in the form of Steph Curry and Draymond Green, who have had excellent careers in the NBA. If he takes their advice and keeps working hard, he can become a future superstar.

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Can James Wiseman become the Rookie of the Year? He has stiff competition from players like LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton. But if Wiseman and the Warriors can build momentum, he has a strong chance to bag the award.

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Aaditya Krishnamurthy is an NBA & NFL journalist for EssentiallySports, before which he worked at BusinessWorld magazine. He has been a fan of Basketball for over 10 years now, since Shaquille O’Neal was a Phoenix Suns player. During his time at Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, he started a sports magazine for the college called the Overtime Tribune and hosted the Overtime Tribune Podcast until he graduated.

Warriors’ Steve Kerr Believes Rookie James Wiseman Needs to Channel Frustration into his Game

Steve Kerr confident in Wiseman’s ability

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James Wiseman – Future Warriors’ centerpiece