Defending NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, have been having a hard time winning games, especially on the road. After snapping a three-game losing streak, the Warriors were finally able to turn things around by defeating the Houston Rockets in their last matchup. However, there is a disgruntled star that has been haunting Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors recently.
The Warriors were part of a four-team trade that brought Gary Payton II back to Dubnation. However, in the trade, the Warriors parted with the second-overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, James Wiseman.
Are Stephen Curry and the Warriors regretting their move?
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The seven-footer has been playing exceptionally well since he got traded to the Detroit Pistons. And Pistons legend Isiah Thomas made sure to make the Warriors realize how they blew that move with the trade.
In a recent episode of Game Time, Isiah Thomas sat down to talk about the Golden State Warriors. And the predicament they are in. Given that they overcame all obstacles last year to win an NBA championship, things could?ve been different if James Wiseman was still on the team.
Thomas said, ?When you blow the number one pick, the number one pick was supposed to be that sustained them and got them over the hump and everything. And now, you know the number one pick is gone. Whether you like it or not, you missed on that.?
?And that is, you know, that?s every 10-15 years you get a number one pick to join your team. That person is supposed to uplift and carry you. And they totally whipped on that and therefore they?re kinda stuck here,? added Thomas.
James Wiseman may not have been the number one overall pick but he surely was the second. Also, Wiseman was touted to be the next missing puzzle in the Warriors championship roster but somehow could not deliver then.
Did the Warriors make a mistake by trading Wiseman?
The Memphis College product has been nothing short of amazing with his new team, the Detroit Pistons. Although, the Warriors could not make the best of Wiseman?s talents even when he was with them.
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James Wiseman over the last 4 Games:
21 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 77% FG
16 PTS, 13 REB, 61% FG
16 PTS, 9 REB, 54% FG
18 PTS, 14 REB, 3 BLK, 53% FG— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 14, 2023
Injuries kept Wiseman away from the team for quite some time. And even when he was playing with the squad, he did not live up to the expectations. Which ultimately resulted in the Warriors suffering on the court.
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Watch This Story – Will Gary Payton II play for Stephen Curry’s Warriors?
Now that Wiseman has gotten a new team and coaching staff to play under, he is flourishing into a future star – which must be a definite blow to the stomach for Stephen Curry and the Warriors, given that they totally blew their second overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft.