Why DiVincenzo is so sure Wiseman will be ‘really good’ in NBA originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Even though the Warriors were not the right fit for their former No. 2 overall pick, there has been a common feeling throughout the locker room since James Wiseman’s departure — every one of his former teammates is rooting for him.
That includes first-year Warrior Donte DiVincenzo, who sat down with NBC Sports Bay Area Warriors insider Monte Poole and discussed the bittersweet trade that sent Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons.
“There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind he’s going to be in this league for a very long time, and he’s going to be very good in this league,” DiVincenzo said. “He has natural gifts and also he has talent. Like he has IQ, he has talent. You look at both sides of this; you go from the Warriors winning championships and then two years go by and you end up with the No. 2 pick and then everybody comes back.
“So it is tough and tough as a fit. But there’s one thing that I know about James that I’ve learned about him in seven months is he’s going to keep working. He does not care, and he’s going to listen to his OGs because he’s still only 21 years old.”
DiVincenzo isn’t the only Dubs player to speak highly of Wiseman either.
Steph Curry and Draymond Green have been open about their support of their former teammate.
And while Golden State had high hopes for the 7-foot-1 center when the team drafted him in 2020, Wiseman was unable to establish a consistent role in coach Steve Kerr’s rotations.
Injuries didn’t make things any easier for Wiseman. Returning to the court after missing the entire 2021-22 season, he needed reps, and he just wasn’t getting them with the Warriors.
But he now has a fresh start in the Motor City.
Wiseman strung together a solid performance in his Pistons debut last week. He finished with 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting with five rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench in a 127-109 loss to the Boston Celtics.
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“Like I said, he’s going to be in the league a long time. There’s no doubt in my mind,” DiVincenzo said. “So I think for him, you look at [it] like we gotta key piece back of the championship team from last year, but also he’s going to go into a role and now he will be able to play and he’ll be able to play free and he’ll be able to make mistakes and not get on himself as much and he’s going to really develop.
“He’s going to be really good in this league.”
As the Warriors did for two-plus seasons, the Pistons — and the rest of the league — will just have to wait and see. Regardless, Wiseman’s former team is rooting for him from afar.
