Rising expectations/relative deprivation---huge demotivator.
If Willie Warren were the typical sophomore star or a freshman, everyone would probably be happy with his performance, or at least not disturbed. If TMG or Pledger had taken over the game in the second half, we would be ecstatic. We would forgive their shot selection and turnovers and ineffective effort on defense. We don't expect it of them, ----yet.
The point of these threads has often been that Willie Warren is a top five lottery pick. If so, you judge him based on that performance. Since his first half was so ineffective that we probably would have been better with TMG and Pledger on the court, it's kind of hard to see him as a top five pick.
Now, did he pick up and make some fine plays in the second half? Yes. Of course, he also made a couple of really bad turnovers.
Someone mentioned that they are not using their best defenders on him. I had not noticed that, nor had I paid any attention to it. He isn't as heavily defended as Blake was. He can get open fairly easily. They aren't double-teaming him.
The discussion kind of turns on that "top five lottery pick" standard. I rather hope that he will become that. He isn't now.