Warriors’ top offseason addition is actually James Wiseman, whose ask and expectations have been simplified

July 25, 2022 World Sports

After making his 2022 Summer League debut, James Wiseman got a delectable taste of the Golden State Warriors’ unique version of the old “good cop-bad cop” routine. Wiseman, who hasn’t played in an NBA game in over 15 months due, put up 11 points and two blocks in Las Vegas, his first action since a three-game G League stint in March that ended with knee swelling that shut him down for the rest of the season.

A pretty good return, except for one not-so-tiny problem.

Wiseman, who is listed at 7-foot, 240 pounds and looked to have added even more lean muscle since the last time we saw him, pulled down just two rebounds in the game. Afterward, he heard from two of the most prominent voices in the Warriors locker room, but he received two very different messages.

In typical nice-guy fashion, Steph Curry texted Wiseman with words of encouragement: “He just told me, ‘It feels good just to see you back out there playing,'” Wiseman told reporters.

Draymond Green, in his typical tell-it-like-it-is fashion, took to his now-infamous podcast for a proverbial airing of Summer League grievances: “Wise, you can’t have two rebounds. … I would never excuse James Wiseman having two rebounds, nor do I think James Wiseman would excuse it.”