The incident between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole eclipsed the stakes of the Warriors’ preparation. First there is Klay Thompson who is not mentally ready to play, then the integration of rookies like Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green, or of course the resumption of serious things for James Wiseman.
Sunday evening, the young interior of the Warriors passed a life-size test with an opposition against Anthony Davis. LeBron James and Russell Westbrook absent, he was more than ever at the heart of the Lakers attack, and he scored 28 points, including 24 in the first half. The opportunity for James Wiseman to learn and retain the lesson, especially in mobility and the ability of Anthony Davis to be effective in transition and off.
“I just have to make sure not to rush him too much, but to give him distance, to defend without making too many mistakes because he is looking for them” found Golden State pivot. “He uses his science of the game a lot, so I have to make sure I’m smarter and watch more videos about my opponents and those I’m defending against”.
Ahead of turnaround times
On the other side of the field, James Wiseman did pretty well with 13 points and 6 rebounds in 18 minutes, and for Steve Kerr, it’s promising for the future.
“He is further ahead than I imagined” admits the coach. “A lot of it is because he’s had a really good summer and he’s been healthy. He’s been in more practice matches than any of our players this summer. That’s how it was supposed to be. The problem is that his development was delayed for two years by COVID and injuries. I told him: ‘Better late than never’. He is on his own progression curve, and he is progressing very well. We are satisfied with his situation”.
Same observation with Kevon Looney who took him under his wing. ” I think he made a lot of progress right from the start of training camp, and his future is very promising. He has a lot of potential, a lot of talent. We have to keep improving every day, and I think he will become very special. »
