James Wiseman injury puts Warriors’ brass under microscope

Having led the Warriors to five consecutive NBA Finals before his team dealt with myriad injuries last season, Kerr was once considered among the most successful head coaches in modern NBA history. A Golden State fan base that apparently has long-term memory loss has now turned on Kerr in a big way.

“Anything that’s written is fair. It’s just the gig. When we were doing great, I was an offensive genius. Now, we’re struggling and I’m behind the times,” Kerr said last week, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “So it’s all part of it. The truth is always somewhere in between.”

There was also an apparent rift between Kerr and the Warriors’ brass relating to Wiseman before he suffered his injury this weekend. The head coach believed that he was not ready to play big minutes and pulled him from the starting lineup. General manager Bob Myers and other higher-ups wanted to see him develop. After all, Wiseman is viewed as part of the future in San Francisco with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green not getting any younger.

Wiseman pick, inactive NBA trade deadline

While it’s fair that Kerr would receive most of the criticism, former NBA Executive of the Year Bob Myers isn’t immune to it. Take the March NBA trade deadline as an example. The Warriors were expected to be active in an attempt to add another foundational piece. They had the assets and the green light from an ownership group that’s always willing to spend money.

Impending free agent Kelly Oubre was firmly on the block. Reportedly, there was strong interest in his services. Meanwhile, the Warriors were linked to the likes of Victor Oladipo and Aaron Gordon — two players who would have fit into their long-term plans.

Instead, Golden State created two roster spaces by trading Marquese Chriss and Brad Wanamaker. The Warriors did not bring in anyone of substance. They boasted a 22-22 record at the time of the deadline. They have lost six of nine since and are battling for a spot in the play-in tournament.

Months earlier, the Warriors opted to select Wiseman over the aforementioned LaMelo Ball. Both seemed like solid fits. But Myers and Co. wanted a dynamic big man to team up with Curry and Thompson.

While Ball is also currently sidelined by injury, he’s the runaway favorite for NBA Rookie of the Year and was in the midst of a historical initial campaign before getting hurt. These two will now be linked to one another for the foreseeable future. If (and it’s a big if) their two paths continue on the same trajectory we’ve seen this season, it won’t make Myers and Kerr look good.

Wiseman aside, huge offseason coming up for the Warriors

It’s been reported throughout the season that Golden State would not move Wiseman or its future first-round pick acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves unless the Warriors got a generational talent. Bradley Beal and Joel Embiid were bandied about as two possibilities.

Sure the Warriors could pull off a blockbuster this summer. They have the components to make it happen. Primarily, Minnesota’s pick (top-three protected in 2021 and unprotected 2022) is considered one of the top trade chips in the NBA. However, the Warriors also dropped the ball by not moving Oubre for another asset who is under contract for next season. That’s one of the issues here.

As it stands, Golden State’s brass is going to be under an enormous amount of pressure this summer. It needs to show Stephen Curry that the team is all in. Short of that happening, the impossible could take place: Curry playing out the final season of his current contract and leaving in free agency during the summer of 2022. The pressure is on. How the powers that be in San Francisco handle said pressure will be telling and franchise-altering.