WISEMAN EXPECTATIONS: Year 1

[Mylie10]

Jerry Rice......bad hands as rookie

[Sleepy51]

Criticizing the "dinner story" as a self-delusional con job on themselves by the Warriors front office is just bizzaro world fan fiction for those who want to justify their view that Wiseman struggling against experienced NBA opponents was somehow unexpected.

I don't see how the dinner story is related at all to his struggles being unexpected. The dinner story is just bad PR and reinforces that the process the FO used to make this pick was...as you put it...bizzaro.

It's not as bizarre as people are making it out to be. They didn't change their minds "because he was a good dinner guest." They allegedly changed their mind after a private workout and an interview. The dinner was an interview. The point of an interview is to get a sense of what a candidate has to offer that isn't on the resume and isn't in the measureables. What it sounds like they took away form the workout and interview was that JW was not only the toxbox of physical tools, but that he also had a "special" level of maturity and expressed the right sentiments to communicate a special level of coachability, drive and worth ethic.

Why is it crazy to take that into account if on the same day, the head basketball person in the organization was blow away by his workout? Given the available data points, it seems to me that Wiseman was taken knowingly as a project with tremendous, possibly franchise talent upside. They knew when they made the the pick that we were coming into the next offseason with another extremely valuable 1st round pick pick as a trade asset. It's entirely possible that the Wiseman pick IS for the future (after Steph's window starts to close) and they planned from the begining to use this year's pick/assets for the immediate help to get us into contention.

Kerr didn't start Wiseman because he though he was ready. He started Wiseman because Looney wasn't healthy and Chriss was out for the season. I think the early season frontcourt situation got people spun that the W's were somehow taken by surprise that JW is raw and a multi year project. Maybe the franchise is trying to chew gum and walk at the same time?

[EvanZ]

A workout and an interview should not be the main part of the evaluation process. They're just not very good at this since Schlenk left. Let's be honest.

[Phase 3]

As a big fan of the Wiseman pick, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have concerns about him right now. There’s not one area he needs improvement in....there are many things he needs to improve on. But for me, it starts with having an aggressive mindset. I’m not talking about shooting more...I’m talking about being much more physical and welcoming of contact. It all starts with this imo.

Can he improve on that and his other weaknesses? Given his age, size and athleticism...I think he has a good shot. Basketball isn’t rocket science and he’s only 19 years old. But it could be a lengthier process than we all wanted. Which is not ideal given Steph’s age.

[wco81]

Can he add 30 pounds of muscle over the summer?

Actually Mobley could eat a sandwich or a dozen.

[Sleepy51]

A workout and an interview should not be the main part of the evaluation process. They're just not very good at this since Schlenk left. Let's be honest.

But wiseman didn’t play a college season, so what would you have them evaluate on?

[Sleepy51]

As a big fan of the Wiseman pick, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have concerns about him right now. There’s not one area he needs improvement in....there are many things he needs to improve on. But for me, it starts with having an aggressive mindset. I’m not talking about shooting more...I’m talking about being much more physical and welcoming of contact. It all starts with this imo.

Can he improve on that and his other weaknesses? Given his age, size and athleticism...I think he has a good shot. Basketball isn’t rocket science and he’s only 19 years old. But it could be a lengthier process than we all wanted. Which is not ideal given Steph’s age.

Again, isn’t it entirely possible that they know it’s going to be a lengthy process and made the pick with the awareness that they have a top draft asset in the MN pick to use for a more urgent improvement for next season’s campaign?

[Mylie10]

Criticizing the "dinner story" as a self-delusional con job on themselves by the Warriors front office is just bizzaro world fan fiction for those who want to justify their view that Wiseman struggling against experienced NBA opponents was somehow unexpected.

I don't see how the dinner story is related at all to his struggles being unexpected. The dinner story is just bad PR and reinforces that the process the FO used to make this pick was...as you put it...bizzaro.

Fantastic post Sleepy! Loving the contextual posts from the OGs.

I still love a good poke or slight without much context, but when discussing some of these topics, we have to include as much context as we can glean.



It's not as bizarre as people are making it out to be. They didn't change their minds "because he was a good dinner guest." They allegedly changed their mind after a private workout and an interview. The dinner was an interview. The point of an interview is to get a sense of what a candidate has to offer that isn't on the resume and isn't in the measureables. What it sounds like they took away form the workout and interview was that JW was not only the toxbox of physical tools, but that he also had a "special" level of maturity and expressed the right sentiments to communicate a special level of coachability, drive and worth ethic.

Why is it crazy to take that into account if on the same day, the head basketball person in the organization was blow away by his workout? Given the available data points, it seems to me that Wiseman was taken knowingly as a project with tremendous, possibly franchise talent upside. They knew when they made the the pick that we were coming into the next offseason with another extremely valuable 1st round pick pick as a trade asset. It's entirely possible that the Wiseman pick IS for the future (after Steph's window starts to close) and they planned from the begining to use this year's pick/assets for the immediate help to get us into contention.

Kerr didn't start Wiseman because he though he was ready. He started Wiseman because Looney wasn't healthy and Chriss was out for the season. I think the early season frontcourt situation got people spun that the W's were somehow taken by surprise that JW is raw and a multi year project. Maybe the franchise is trying to chew gum and walk at the same time?

[Mylie10]

A workout and an interview should not be the main part of the evaluation process. They're just not very good at this since Schlenk left. Let's be honest.

They took at least from the time that last season ended, until the draft, to go through all of their evaluations.

I get you don’t like where they landed with the pick, but they didn’t come to it hap hazardous as you and others might be claiming.

You can find all of the old interviews with Kerr and others throughout the entire off season. Kerr himself said he hasn’t poured over potential draft picks like he has this summer. It’s the first time he’s had time to be part of the process.

So all of the hand wringing is weird. Again, you don’t like the pick, but they do and they didn’t blow it. Because it’s ok if several guys at the top are playing well. Doesn’t mean because you wanted Ball that somehow they whiffed and Wiseman won’t ever amount to anything.

[Mylie10]

As a big fan of the Wiseman pick, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have concerns about him right now. There’s not one area he needs improvement in....there are many things he needs to improve on. But for me, it starts with having an aggressive mindset. I’m not talking about shooting more...I’m talking about being much more physical and welcoming of contact. It all starts with this imo.

Can he improve on that and his other weaknesses? Given his age, size and athleticism...I think he has a good shot. Basketball isn’t rocket science and he’s only 19 years old. But it could be a lengthier process than we all wanted. Which is not ideal given Steph’s age.

See now this is a completely rational concern.

But pining over Ball constantly doesn’t change the results of our draft. All it is is crying over spilled milk. Go ahead if you want to, but it’s tiresome and annoying.

Not really pointing this at any one person Phase

[Mylie10]

Can he add 30 pounds of muscle over the summer?

Actually Mobley could eat a sandwich or a dozen.

This is another interesting question to me. I have a couple thoughts on weight gain for him.

Being that he’s so young, I’m not sure I want him gaining 30 pounds. He’s already over 250 supposedly, so getting him to 280 doesn’t sound good to me for his athleticism.

However, I would like to see a strengthening program where he works on his core and power base. Putting on some natural muscle while strengthening the proper areas is more what I’m looking at.

[ILOVEIT]

A 22 year old Wiseman will be much stronger....without having to bulk up. This is just 19 year old lanky boy vs grown man. I don't want him to lose any of the quickness he already has.

[shazam_guy]

And let us not forget that the Warriors haven't really had their hands on him yet in an off-season because of COVID19. A number two draft pick is going to have his entire time after the season ends this year laid out for him, and probably much of it will be done under team supervision, definitely including weights, body-shaping, practicing footwork, etc. This is the NBA. They spend millions upon millions on this stuff.

[Mylie10]

And let us not forget that the Warriors haven't really had their hands on him yet in an off-season because of COVID19. A number two draft pick is going to have his entire time after the season ends this year laid out for him, and probably much of it will be done under team supervision, definitely including weights, body-shaping, practicing footwork, etc. This is the NBA. They spend millions upon millions on this stuff.

We’re you able to read about the training he got this summer?

Because the trainer asked him what he envisioned or wanted his game to be. The trainer expected to be training him like a traditional big man. But James said he wanted to he more than that. The trainer said that since James wanted to play on the perimeter,as well as being a big man, they worked on things that would make him more agile. Lots of guard like drills. But not forgetting he’s a center as well...or a hybrid.

I forget the whole thing, but was really interesting. I’ll see if I can find it at some point.

[Sleepy51]

And let us not forget that the Warriors haven't really had their hands on him yet in an off-season because of COVID19. A number two draft pick is going to have his entire time after the season ends this year laid out for him, and probably much of it will be done under team supervision, definitely including weights, body-shaping, practicing footwork, etc. This is the NBA. They spend millions upon millions on this stuff.

And the point of the "dinnergate" story is not that they like that he knew which fork to use for shrimp cocktail. It's that the interview they conducted during that dinner communicated a drive and intelligence and coachability to make them think that the millions upon millions that they can spend on this stuff would be well spent on him.

[Mylie10]

And let us not forget that the Warriors haven't really had their hands on him yet in an off-season because of COVID19. A number two draft pick is going to have his entire time after the season ends this year laid out for him, and probably much of it will be done under team supervision, definitely including weights, body-shaping, practicing footwork, etc. This is the NBA. They spend millions upon millions on this stuff.

And the point of the "dinnergate" story is not that they like that he knew which fork to use for shrimp cocktail. It's that the interview they conducted during that dinner communicated a drive and intelligence and coachability to make them think that the millions upon millions that they can spend on this stuff would be well spent on him.

Nice story.....When James ordered dinner for Joe Lacob in Chinese, Lacob went back to the room later and pulled up the video of a sweaty workout,and audio of him speaking Chinese at dinner, and the rest is history

[TB]

I for one am very happy he spent so much time working on his shot and his handle. I don't really understand the argument wanting him to focus on strength and post when he's 19 and clearly not physical enough to be doing that. It's incredibly impressive that in one year of prep he already made himself a shooter teams have to at least go out and guard.

Keep working on that jumper young man, it's going to open up the inside game immensely when he's strong enough to do that as well.

Also, it's not like he avoided the strength training...the kid lifted like crazy last year and filled out his current 19 year old frame the best he possible could.

His work ethic is undeniable imo.

[northoakland510]

I for one am very happy he spent so much time working on his shot and his handle. I don't really understand the argument wanting him to focus on strength and post when he's 19 and clearly not physical enough to be doing that. It's incredibly impressive that in one year of prep he already made himself a shooter teams have to at least go out and guard.

Keep working on that jumper young man, it's going to open up the inside game immensely when he's strong enough to do that as well.

Also, it's not like he avoided the strength training...the kid lifted like crazy last year and filled out his current 19 year old frame the best he possible could.

His work ethic is undeniable imo.

I went to school with Leon Powe from elementary to high school. He tripped all over his own feet until probably sophomore year of high school. For him that is when everything started to click and he was 6'8''. I can only imagine what a kid that's 7'1'' who barely has his own coordination down and now has to bang against dudes with grown man strength is dealing with.

[TB]

I for one am very happy he spent so much time working on his shot and his handle. I don't really understand the argument wanting him to focus on strength and post when he's 19 and clearly not physical enough to be doing that. It's incredibly impressive that in one year of prep he already made himself a shooter teams have to at least go out and guard.

Keep working on that jumper young man, it's going to open up the inside game immensely when he's strong enough to do that as well.

Also, it's not like he avoided the strength training...the kid lifted like crazy last year and filled out his current 19 year old frame the best he possible could.

His work ethic is undeniable imo.

I went to school with Leon Powe from elementary to high school. He tripped all over his own feet until probably sophomore year of high school. For him that is when everything started to click and he was 6'8''. I can only imagine what a kid that's 7'1'' who barely has his own coordination down and now has to bang against dudes with grown man strength is dealing with.

Very cool insight on Powe. He was one of my all-time favorite prospects because he was a bay area kid in the same class as me, topping all the ranking charts. Also seemed like a really cool dude. Never got a chance to play against him or even see him in person in high school because that would involve being on a good enough team to get to the various playoff stages, which was FAR from the case

[clyde21]

Mobley is the perfect modern day C, that's a guy you drafted 2nd overall and not even think twice about it because of his toolset, ball skills, and ability to play multiple positions and on different levels...he's not the physical presence Wiseman is but who the hell cares, Mobley is such a stud