Wow. With Patrick Baldwin & Ryans Rollins also playing, that should be
quite a team to watch. Front line: Wiseman, Kuminga, Baldwin. Guards:
Rollins (PG) & Moody. -AL

==================================================

Warriors notebook: Wiseman, Kuminga and Moody to play in Summer League,
Myers says
Fresh off an NBA Finals win, the Warriors are anticipating this will be
a big summer for some of their younger pieces pegged to be the
organization's future.
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 13: Santa Cruz Warriors’ James
Wiseman (33) takes a shot against NBA G League Ignite in the third
quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, March
13, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 13: Santa Cruz Warriors’ James
Wiseman (33) takes a shot against NBA G League Ignite in the third
quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, March
13, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
By MADELINE KENNEY | mkenney@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: June 22, 2022 at 2:29 p.m. | UPDATED: June 23, 2022 at 2:39 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/06/22/warriors-notebook-wiseman-kuminga-and-moody-to-play-in-summer-league-myers-says/

SAN FRANCISCO — Fresh off an NBA championship, the Warriors are
anticipating this will be a big summer for some of their younger pieces
pegged to be the organization’s future.

James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are all expected to play
in Summer League next month, general manger Bob Myers said Wednesday.
Barring any setbacks, this will be the first time Wiseman sees game
action since his stint with the team’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz
in March before he was shut down for the season due to persistent
swelling in his surgically repaired knee.

It’s unclear whether the trio will play together or be kept separate
between the two portions of the summer schedule. The Warriors are set to
host the California Classic at Chase Center July 2 and 3, featuring
games against the Lakers and Kings, before Las Vegas Summer League,
which runs July 7-17.

Wiseman previously said there was a 90% chance he would play in the
offseason competition and his health appears to be trending in the right
direction. He worked out Tuesday and Wednesday, and coach Steve Kerr
said he’s been “coming along well.”

“It’s a big summer for James, and good news is he’s doing really well,”
coach Steve Kerr said.

Added Myers, “He’ll scrimmage with our guys. He’s going to start doing
live stuff. All indications are good.”

Wiseman has played in only 39 NBA games since being drafted second
overall in 2020 and none since April 10, 2021 due to a meniscus tear in
his right knee. Wiseman was expected to return that fall in time for
training camp, but setbacks prolong his rehabilitation process. He’s
since undergone two additional procedures, including an orthobioligic
injection in his arm in April in London, which is supposed to promote
healing throughout his body.

Wiseman said Saturday that he hasn’t had any knee swelling since. Kerr
said Wiseman’s health remains a top priority, but the Warriors’ coach is
looking forward to evaluating the 7-foot center in five-on-five competition.

“Going forward, with his talent, with his size and athleticism, there’s
no reason why he can’t be a dominant defensive player in the league, but
it takes a lot of reps, it takes a lot of recognition, it takes a lot of
being on the court with nine other people, not just being in a
one-on-one workout or in the weight room,” Kerr said. “Hopefully — knock
on wood — hopefully he gets healthy and gets to start putting those reps
together and develops into a fine defensive center. That would be the
idea. You see how gifted he is offensively. He’s a lob threat. He’s a
good shooter. It’s all there for him.

“But he needs a break. He needs some things to go his way health-wise,
and like I said, so far, so good, and we’re hoping that things continue
to improve.”

As for Kuminga and Moody, additional games this offseason will give them
more time to hone their skills. Kuminga started 12 games last season and
played in 70, averaging 9.3 points on 51.3% shooting and 3.3 rebounds
per game. Meanwhile, Moody started 11 of his 52 games and averaged 4.4
points on 43.7% shooting.

Myers said Kuminga, Moody and Wiseman will have the opportunity to play
rotational minutes next season “if they earn it.”

“Hopefully we’ll be ready for training camp, and Steve will get a longer
look certainly at James,” Myers said. “If those guys earned it and they
can help us win, I think Steve will play them.”

- Search is on

The Warriors are grateful that Kenny Atkinson passed up a head coaching
job with the Charlotte Hornets to stay on Kerr’s staff. But winning the
title wasn’t enough to lure Mike Brown away from the opportunity to take
the reins of the Sacramento Kings.

Myers and Kerr have voiced their support for Brown, but his departure
leaves an opening on the Warriors’ bench.

Kerr said his team is “kind of right in the middle of discussing” how
they want to proceed with the search, and “nothing has been decided yet.”

Myers said the Warriors “prefer” to fill it with an internal candidate,
possibly promoting a coach from the team’s G League affiliate in Santa
Cruz, though the Warriors’ top executive also didn’t rule out the
possibility of bringing in a fresh perspective from outside the
organization.

“We don’t do everything perfectly,” Myers said. “It’s always nice to
find someone like Kenny who was a head coach but coached in many other
places underneath some good coaches and approaches things differently.
We realized when we hired him last year we needed some new voices.”

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- Iggy’s big decision

After missing most of the regular season and playoffs with a laundry
list of injuries, Andre Iguodala is still mulling whether he wants to
play next season.

“I don’t know if Andre is done,” Myers said. “He’s got a lot going on
outside of basketball, but I think he enjoyed the year. He’s seen
everything now, so whatever he decides, I trust that it’ll have been
thought out. But I don’t know the answer to that. He’ll probably send
some cryptic tweet out.”

Iguodala, 38, was praised for his leadership throughout the postseason
despite being sidelined for about a month with a neck injury. The
now-four-time champion, who led the parade Monday on the first bus, is
well respected by the Warriors’ big three but can also connect with the
younger players and serve as an invaluable mentor.

Both Myers and Kerr said they would welcome him back with open arms if
he chooses to return for one last hurrah.

“It’s never an easy thing to retire and walk away from a game that you
love, from people that you love,” Kerr said. “It’s a really big decision
for him.”