West Notes: Warriors, James Wiseman, Suns, Mavs

Warriors

Warriors center Kevon Looney indicated it may not be so easy for fellow pivot James Wiseman to take the news of his G League assignment in stride.

“It’s really difficult,” Looney said, via Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Especially when you’re a high pick. You got all these expectations. You’re coming off injury. You want to prove yourself to all the doubters. You see all your peers doing well, everyone talking about how good they are and you feel like you’re just as good and things aren’t coming as fast. It makes it frustrating.”

Wiseman, the former No. 2 overall pick, is headed to the Santa Cruz Warriors for what could be an “extended” amount of time, with the goal of getting him consistent minutes and reps, coach Steve Kerr said.

• Shooting guard Klay Thompson indicated the sluggish start of both the team, and his own play, are no reasons to panic. “I’m happy to go through this now compared to a few months from now,” Thompson told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. “No need to panic. We’re like 14 games in. It’s a long season. We face a challenge of going back-to-back, which is incredibly difficult. And then trying to integrate the new guys. It’s going to take time but we’ll figure it out.”

Suns

Coach Monty Williams things center Deandre Ayton doesn’t receive all the calls he deserves.

“DA doesn’t get the benefit of some of the contact,” Williams said, via Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “If a guy is driving to the basket and you hit him the way that he’s getting hit around the basket, backing people down or fighting for position, I think you probably get the free throw line a bit more, but it’s a totally different world for the guys who are posting up. You can pretty much beat him up down there.”

The Suns are hopeful that Ayton can get to the line more, just through sheer aggressiveness. But it would also help if officials don’t swallow the whistle, they seem to believe.

Mavericks

• Small forward Davis Bertans appears to be nearing return from a knee injury, but he and the team are taking a cautious approach. “Every small thing can leave some effect on it,” Bertans said, via Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “Maybe I could have been back a little sooner, but we wanted to be as cautious as possible. We got a deep roster, and we were just making sure this is the only time I miss games this season.”
• As we relayed, despite some rumors, the Mavs actually are not interested in Nets guard/forward Ben Simmons. You can check out that full post right here.