The Golden State Warriors find themselves in the unique spot of trying to get in contention with the core they have while simultaneously trying to develop a heralded rookie.
Coach Steve Kerr admitted that developing rookie center James Wiseman will take time, and that timeline might not necessarily align with the team’s core remaining contenders.
“I know we can further the conversation and say, ‘What about the timeline with Steph [Curry and Draymond [Green] and Klay [Thompson] and what does that mean.’ And those are valid questions,” Kerr told 95.7 The Game’s “Damon, Ratto & Kolsky” on Friday, via Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Can we get James up to speed quick enough to match the timeline with our three core guys? And that’s a great question. And we don’t know the answer. But when you go into a draft and you see someone who potentially is a generational talent, then that’s a decision you have to make.”
Curry is 33, while Thompson and Green are both 31. They represent a championship core, but there’s no guarantee that lasts another five years. It means Wiseman has to hurry to get on their level, and his season-ending meniscus injury will not help with that.
If there’s any good news, it’s that Golden State’s core is committed to helping Wiseman as much as possible. Whether that’s enough to make him valuable enough to quickly become a member of a contending core remains to be seen.
