James Wiseman didn’t play in the preseason for the Golden State Warriors, but he’s set to make his debut on opening night against the Brooklyn Nets.
At long last, James Wiseman is set to make his debut on Tuesday night for the Golden State Warriors. The second overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft didn’t play at all in the preseason after missing time following a positive COVID-19 test, but he’s been cleared and will play in the Warriors’ debut against the Brooklyn Nets.
Wiseman is a fascinating prospect for a number of reasons. He’s a throwback center in many ways during an era where the Warriors themselves pushed those old-school centers out of prominence in the league. Still, in an ever-evolving league, he may be the kind of player that can bring the position back into vogue.
Considering how little film there is on Wiseman, he’s the ultimate mystery coming out of the draft and the preseason. He barely played in his freshman season at the University of Memphis, and then missed the whole preseason, so his teammates and coaches with the Warriors are basically the only people on the planet right now who know what to expect from him when he gets on the floor Tuesday night.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is obviously impressed by what he’s been able to do, because per a report from The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Wiseman will start at center against the Nets in spite of the fact that he got no preseason reps.
If Kerr is excited about Wiseman, so are we. He reworked his jump shot, and could end up being a decent shooter. He already has unbelievable physical talents and is an absolute athletic specimen. While his motor remains the biggest question mark, he has great basketball IQ and seems to love the game, according to reports, and that’s not something that can be said of every young 7-footer.
Playing with Stephen Curry could only boost the affection that he has for basketball.
Curry could be the key to unlocking him on offense as well. While Wiseman did some work on the jumper, his best role as a rookie might just be as a devastating roll man. After not running much pick-and-roll the last few seasons, the Warriors are left with little choice considering their current roster configuration and injury situation with Klay Thompson out for the season.
You could do worse than running a ton of pick-and-rolls with the world’s best shooter and an uber-athletic 19 year old if you’re Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors.
Rookies are almost always enigmatic mysteries when they enter the NBA. But at least in most cases, there is some film or general access to their activities on the court. With Wiseman, the anticipation is that much greater because there’s no film and nobody has been able to watch him practice or work out in these times of the coronavirus pandemic.
We don’t have the slightest idea what to expect from James Wiseman, and that makes the unlimited possibilities all the more exciting as he’s set to begin his rookie season.