What did you think was hyperbole? Even if Payton played 82 games, my opinion is that he was a questionable investment. If he misses a big chunk of the season, it goes from questionable to just plain bad.
because he hasn't even played a game yet, and considering how good he is defensively, it might be a good idea to wait to see how he is.
Let me put it this way - if we had just let Hart play guard and invested in a player with size, would we be a worse team than we are now?
Don't know. If they didn't draft Shaedon and instead drafted Dyson Daniels would we be acting like he'd great too?
Apparently, Sean Deveney had something about the Warriors wanting Payton back and that Wiseman's contract fits perfectly. Wiseman hasn't been healthy, but he does have some skills that are unique. Is he ready for Golden State's 'win now' window? No. The Warriors thought that they would be getting more contributions from Wiseman, Mooney and Kuminga by now. Kuminga has taken a step back from last year from last year and his production has dropped by half. Moody is at about the same level, and Draymond Green was yelling at Wiseman in every practice. Is he the #2 pick the Warriors thought he could be? No where close yet. But does have have some intriguing skills for a big man who is only 21 and has only played in 50 games so far in his career? Absolutely. He actually averages more PPG this year than Looney. Now of course, it's not Looney's job to score, but Wiseman is getting more points in about half the minutes. Per 36: Points - 18.4 Rebs - 10.3 Assts - 2.7 FG% - .588 A complete bust? I think not. But he is no the level where the rest of the veterans are in terms of winning now. They are feeling the loss of Payton and OPJ and now that Thompson is having the worst year of his career, their margin for error is much smaller....as their record is showing so far. If Portland were in a Championship window and a player like GPII could put them over the top, I'd say keep him. But I don't believe that is where their are. And they already can't seem to get enough minutes for Sharpe and Keon (who was doing some good things) will get even less than the miniscule minutes he was getting. Little isn't playing much either and it's tough for him to get back to where he was without getting some rhythm. Payton, while he should be a positive contributor, will create even more of a log jam, while up front, the Blazers will remain ridiculously thin/small. Cronin said he was about taking a shot on a player with upside and Wiseman would fit that description. I would have to seriously think about that unlikely scenario if Golden State were somehow open to it.
I am excited about seeing GP2 on this roster but if the Warriors are willing to do a pick swap + Wiseman for GP2 - you have to consider it...
It's not a slam dunk by any means, which is why I ended with, "you have to seriously think about it...". It's possible the Blazers, with the addition of Payton, are in contender status. I don't think we are quite there, but again, have to consider it if they stay anywhere in the top-5 in the league. Check out the sequence that starts at 57 seconds. Those are intriguing abilities. The block, then passes everyone on the sprint out, and finishes with the dunk off the catch at the FT line. Not a lot of players in the league that can do that. Plus he was 3-3 from 3-pt range as he became the youngest every player in Warriors history to get 25 points.
do we know of Cronin/Blazers knew about the injury and possible/likely surgery when we signed him last summer?
Daniels looks good in a role player type way. Sharpe looks like he has all the makings of a superstar right off the bat.
here is a pre draft analysis of Wiseman's weaknesses that might explain why he was having trouble fitting in with GS. NBA comp of hassan Whiteside is a little scary. "Wiseman can block shots, sure, but there are still holes in his game defensively. Moving side to side isn’t a strong suit of his and for that reason, he’s not a player that’s comfortable switching out to guards. A lack of muscle is also a concern for Wiseman and playing for USA Basketball he struggled with some physical international bigs that would get into his body and use lower centers of gravity to push him around. Offensively Wiseman wants to play like a wing and while that offers some intrigue it also makes him tough to project. Coaches aren’t going to give him too many opportunities to isolate on the wing and demonstrate his ball-handling abilities and for that reason, one of his main skills is at the risk of being rendered useless. Throughout his high school career there was evidence of Wiseman trying to be a stretch big that would shoot threes but those shots never really fell for him, including in his final EYBL season where he shot 10% from deep. Another area of concern is Wiseman as a playmaker. Whenever he got the ball on a short roll and was in a position to distribute he struggled to read defences and make the right decision and even when he recognized the right pass to make, he struggled to execute it. The problem could lay with his hands. He seems to have little touch which makes passing difficult and also leads to him fumbling a lot of lobs or worse had entry passes ricochet off his hands. His struggles to catch the ball in traffic and be a passer off the short roll make him far less effective in the pick and roll than you’d like to see from a 7’1” run-and-jump big man and that also hurts his NBA projection. Generally speaking there seems to be a disconnect between what the basketball world wants from Wiseman and what he sees himself as. Scouts view him as a potential defensive anchor who will block shots defensively and sit in the dunker spot offensively. Wiseman, on the other hand, seems to see himself as a ball-handler worthy of taking on the role of a volume shooter. If he’s willing to fit the mould of what teams want from their five-man he could have a long career but if he continues to try to be a 7’1” guard there is going to be some bust potential. Projected NBA Draft Range: 3-8 NBA Comparison: Hassan Whiteside Projected NBA Role: Defensive anchor."
If Dyson's 2022-3 hypothetical Blazer career mirrored what he's done with the Pels, I'm sure most here would have their fingers crossed for better days ahead. I've kept an eye on Jalen Duren from the Pistons as he was a guy I argued for them considering over Daniels and Sochan. Statistically he's been really good on the Big man stuff (boards, blocked shots) and just watched the Pistons vs Kings and he was nice. Really active and long getting in on loose balls and switching well on D. That guy has a bright future. STOMP
