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Why James Wiseman's preseason showing vs. Wizards has Warriors' Steve Kerr giddy

Scott Rafferty

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Why James Wiseman's preseason showing vs. Wizards has Warriors' Steve Kerr giddy image

It's only preseason, but James Wiseman sure looked good in Golden State's win over Washington on Friday.

In the first of two matchups between the Warriors and Wizards as part of this year's NBA Japan Games, Wiseman played 23 minutes off the bench and was the game's leading scorer with 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting. He also grabbed nine rebounds, tying him with the Wizards' Rui Hachimura for game-high honors.

Five of Wiseman's eight field goals were dunks, one of which came over the long arms of Kristaps Porzingis, who has blocked his fair share of shots over the last seven years.

The No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Wiseman saw his rookie season come to an end due to a torn meniscus in his right knee. He underwent an additional surgery during the 2021-22 season and ended up being sidelined for all 82 games.

Wiseman suited up for four games in this year's Summer League but was limited to 19.9 minutes per contest.

With it being almost a year and a half since Wiseman first suffered his knee injury, it's no wonder the Warriors were giddy about his performance on Friday.

"James has had a really good few days of practice," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said of Wiseman.

"Just his understanding of spacing and defensive communication, being in the right place. He just has a much better sense of the NBA game now than he did when he was playing a couple of years ago, and for good reason — I mean, he's been putting a ton of work in. Obviously, last year despite the injury he was studying, watching tape and learning from our older guys.

"Couldn't be happier for James. He's just done such a good job, put in so much work and to see him rewarded in the first preseason game is fantastic."

MORE: How offseason moves impact Warriors' starting, closing lineup

Will James Wiseman be in the Warriors' rotation this season?

Wiseman will get an opportunity to crack Golden State's rotation this season. Kerr made it clear early on that Kevon Looney will remain the team's starter, but Wiseman figures to be the first center off the bench.

Raw as Wiseman still is, he adds a dimension to the Warriors that they haven't had in a long time — vertical spacing. With the amount of attention Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green draw, he could do a lot of damage simply as a cutter, roller and rebounder.

Wiseman put that on full display against the Wizards.

It's a similar story on the other end of the court. The Warriors are already one of the best defensive teams in the league, but Wiseman could be the team's best shot blocker since Andrew Bogut and JaVale McGee.

It's pretty scary to think about what the Warriors will look like if Wiseman can start to put it all together.

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.