Midway through the fourth quarter of the Warriors-Pistons game, James Wiseman come up with a big time block and then proceeded to slam home a massive dunk.
When you first glance at the box score from the Warriors' win over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, you might think that James Wiseman didn't have a very good game.
The rookie registered six points (3-for-9 from the field, 0-for-2 on 3s), six rebounds, two blocks and two turnovers, and fouled out in just under 22 minutes. But then you realize that he was a team-best plus-23, and made some major strides defensively in the second half.
"I thought James had a really good stretch in the fourth, where his size and his presence in paint -- for the first time really -- it looked like he sort of knew what his job was," Steve Kerr told the media. "To protect the rim, not foul, use his size and athleticism.
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"And of course his Giannis [Antetokounmpo] play was pretty impressive, too."
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Wiseman's strong defense actually appeared before the fourth quarter started.
And yes, Wiseman looked like the "Greek Freak" midway through the final frame.
The No. 2 overall pick in last month's NBA draft still is just scratching the surface, and has so much room to grow.
The Warriors coaching staff is very aware that it's a work in progress, and understands there will be some growing pains.
"He's just a kid. He's just learning," Kerr said. "It's amazing to watch someone that young -- so little experience at the college level, no summer league, no training camp -- to see how poised he is, how much he wants to learn, how much he listens without feeling criticized or judged.
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"He's beyond his years from a maturity standpoint."
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Wiseman through four games vastly has exceeded expectations, and his game immediately should be elevated when he starts sharing the floor with Draymond Green.
"There's no substitute for game experience," Kerr added. "He just has to feel it. A lot of the fouls are coming because he's a step slow in rotation. We can show him on film, but until you actually feel the speed and power of an NBA game, there's no way anybody could adapt to that.
"It's a matter of figuring out those details through game experience."
