World News – USA – How warriors deal with the absences of James Wiseman and Draymond Green

Three weeks ago Stephen Curry met at the Chase Center to prepare for training camp with the new Warriors’ center, James Wiseman.

For about 20 minutes, Curry said to Wiseman – the No.. 2 From the latest NBA draft, choose how it fits the Golden State, what to expect when you train, and how to give yourself the best chance in important minutes. When Wiseman showered Curry with questions, he tried to contain his excitement.

The Warriors were the team Wiseman had long hoped would draw him, and now he suddenly had the chance to battle them out as a rookie for a starting job. However, those hopes were dashed last week when he and teammate Draymond Green tested positive for the coronavirus.

The league’s protocols mandate that Wiseman and Green must stay away from the team for 10 to 12 days before attempting to return the two required negative tests. While Golden State isn’t sure when these two will join the group again, it’s important to open the preseason Saturday against Denver without both.

The Warriors have two more preseason games – next Tuesday and December. 17 in Sacramento – before the regular December season opener. 22 in Brooklyn. Golden State head coach Steve Kerr has encouraged Wiseman and Green to study video and train themselves as there is so much to do before the national televised game against Kevin Durant’s networks.

This is a team that Klay Thompson has already lost to a torn right Achilles tendon for the season. If the Warriors are to try and attend a loaded western conference, they’ll need Wiseman to anchor the rotation of the center and Green to go back to an all-star caliber.

Last season, Green struggled to adapt to the Golden State youth movement, shooting a 38. 9% of the field (27. 9% from the 3-point range) and sometimes frustrated with the lack of stakes. It didn’t help Green that injuries forced him to miss 22 games, and he often didn’t look entirely healthy even when he was available.

This training camp was an opportunity for Green to develop a relationship with a new cast and organize the warriors’ defense. Golden State had the fifth worst defense in the league last season and will do without their best full-back for the second straight year at Thompson.

For the past few days, Kerr has been telling players that they need a top 10 defense to be a threat in the west. During the Warriors’ first group training session on Monday, he led the team through a kind of defensive boot camp, installed plans and introduced individual exercises. Green’s presence would make this process a lot easier, but he expects to acclimate quickly once he’s cleared for return.

« Draymond will take it extremely quickly, » said Curry, who has referred to Green as a teammate for eight years. “In terms of the mental, he understands what we do, how we do it, and what he brings to the table. Hopefully he can physically catch up in terms of the work that needs to be put in. ”

The bigger problem is Wiseman, who faced a steep learning curve even before his coronavirus test was positive. It’s been almost 13 months since the last time he played a game that matters. While his size and potential for the Warriors were enough to put him second overall despite only 69 minutes of college playtime, Wiseman is pretty raw for a top perspective.

His offensive play is limited and he has yet to prove that he can consistently create for himself or others. Scouts have also raised questions about Wiseman’s motor and basketball IQ. While he has the chance to become a solid center-back in the NBA, he tends to bite on pump fakes and look for blocked shots.

The training camp was supposed to give Wiseman the opportunity to find a rhythm after such a long layoff, learn the nuances of the Warriors system and compete for the starting place with Kevon Looney and Marquese Chriss. If Wiseman’s absence from the team extends well into the preseason or even the regular season, he will be forced to adopt plans and position himself on the fly – a huge task for any newbie.

Game-heavy stretches make it difficult for Kerr to find plenty of time to exercise. If Wiseman looks lost in his first few NBA minutes, he could endure a thorough test and pounce on himself.

« It’s unfortunate, but it’s just the way it goes, » said Kerr of Wiseman’s lack of training camp. “Our coaching staff showed him the tape over the past few days. He’s still getting homework. ”

The good news for Wiseman is that the Warriors designed him for his long-term potential. Regardless of how much time he misses because of that positive coronavirus test, this season he’ll likely have a chance to show that he can grow into a franchise building block.

How is Golden State dealing with its recent setback? It does what people all over the world are doing and tries to keep perspective.

Since the NBA training camp opened last week, the teams have registered nearly 50 positive coronavirus tests. Many of the warriors’ competitors also pack a lot of information into practices without any major actors there.

Connor Letourneau joined the Golden State Warriors in September 2016 after a year with Cal. Prior to that, he spent two years with the Oregon State Beavers for The Oregonian. Letourneau is a University of Maryland alum who interned for The Baltimore Sun and blogged for the New York Times. A portland, ore. The native American is interested in telling stories that go beyond the field or the yard.

Golden State Warriors, Draymond Green, James Wiseman, Steve Kerr and Coronavirus