03-08-2021, 10:49 AM
Warriors problem: Some of their current lineup combinations with Wiseman just don’t work
OK, this is where it gets tricky. If you say that Wiseman should remain in the starting lineup, which I am saying, then you also have to acknowledge that the team’s five-man unit with the second-worst net rating so far this season is … Wiseman in the starting lineup. That is, Wiseman with Curry, Green, Oubre and Wiggins, which has a staggering minus-15.6 net rating in 176 minutes together on the floor.
That is bad. It might get better over the course of the season. It might remain really bad. But I don’t think there’s a logical fix for this, because Wiseman has to play and work through his problems catching the ball, staying disciplined on defense, holding his position on the defensive glass and generally not fouling everybody in sight. He has to make as many strides as possible this season so he’s ready for next season, when Klay is back and the Warriors might have one or two other high-talent youngsters on the roster. (Or the Warriors have to see enough to decide whether they should think about trading him for a large return.) There just can’t be any more 11-minute nights for Wiseman like his quick stint in Portland on Wednesday. I think Kerr is now committed to making sure Wiseman gets a lot of time every night, and Kerr will grin and bear it through the mistakes.
Wiseman’s horrendous statistics with the starting unit, though, need to be explored and possibly explained. And maybe there is something …
What’s the best possible solution? It’s a small sample size, but if you just switch Bazemore for Wiggins and keep Wiseman with Curry, Draymond and Oubre, you get the Warriors’ best five-man lineup so far this season, with a plus-36.5 net rating, albeit in only 36 minutes together. That’s a pretty dramatic difference: Bazemore in that group brings the best number. Wiggins in that group brings the worst. Hmm.
Is it realistic to think that the main problem is Wiseman and Wiggins together? I can’t put a finger on why this would be, but the numbers are clear. Who makes up the Warriors’ worst two-man unit in plus-minus? It’s Wiggins and Wiseman, at -124 in 376 minutes. It’s absolutely a demolition to the Warriors’ chances in a game singularly in the minutes those two are on the floor together.
The Warriors’ worst three-man unit is Wiseman, Wiggins and Curry, which should never happen. No Curry unit should be the worst possible three-man group, and yet this one is -98 in 309 minutes together.
My proposed solution would be to keep the same starting lineup to begin both halves but make sure that Bazemore comes in pretty quick for Wiggins and then keep Wiseman away from Wiggins as much as possible after those two six-minute stints. That means in game-closing units, either Wiggins or (more likely) Wiseman probably should be sitting on the bench, at least for the last few minutes.
https://theathletic.com/2427522/2021/03/...dailyemail
OK, this is where it gets tricky. If you say that Wiseman should remain in the starting lineup, which I am saying, then you also have to acknowledge that the team’s five-man unit with the second-worst net rating so far this season is … Wiseman in the starting lineup. That is, Wiseman with Curry, Green, Oubre and Wiggins, which has a staggering minus-15.6 net rating in 176 minutes together on the floor.
That is bad. It might get better over the course of the season. It might remain really bad. But I don’t think there’s a logical fix for this, because Wiseman has to play and work through his problems catching the ball, staying disciplined on defense, holding his position on the defensive glass and generally not fouling everybody in sight. He has to make as many strides as possible this season so he’s ready for next season, when Klay is back and the Warriors might have one or two other high-talent youngsters on the roster. (Or the Warriors have to see enough to decide whether they should think about trading him for a large return.) There just can’t be any more 11-minute nights for Wiseman like his quick stint in Portland on Wednesday. I think Kerr is now committed to making sure Wiseman gets a lot of time every night, and Kerr will grin and bear it through the mistakes.
Wiseman’s horrendous statistics with the starting unit, though, need to be explored and possibly explained. And maybe there is something …
What’s the best possible solution? It’s a small sample size, but if you just switch Bazemore for Wiggins and keep Wiseman with Curry, Draymond and Oubre, you get the Warriors’ best five-man lineup so far this season, with a plus-36.5 net rating, albeit in only 36 minutes together. That’s a pretty dramatic difference: Bazemore in that group brings the best number. Wiggins in that group brings the worst. Hmm.
Is it realistic to think that the main problem is Wiseman and Wiggins together? I can’t put a finger on why this would be, but the numbers are clear. Who makes up the Warriors’ worst two-man unit in plus-minus? It’s Wiggins and Wiseman, at -124 in 376 minutes. It’s absolutely a demolition to the Warriors’ chances in a game singularly in the minutes those two are on the floor together.
The Warriors’ worst three-man unit is Wiseman, Wiggins and Curry, which should never happen. No Curry unit should be the worst possible three-man group, and yet this one is -98 in 309 minutes together.
My proposed solution would be to keep the same starting lineup to begin both halves but make sure that Bazemore comes in pretty quick for Wiggins and then keep Wiseman away from Wiggins as much as possible after those two six-minute stints. That means in game-closing units, either Wiggins or (more likely) Wiseman probably should be sitting on the bench, at least for the last few minutes.
https://theathletic.com/2427522/2021/03/...dailyemail