The last time James Wiseman laced up for a regular-season game was Nov. 12, 2019. Wiseman tallied 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field with 12 rebounds and a block in the Memphis Tigers’ 82-74 loss to the Oregon Ducks.
Fast forward to late December of 2020 and the No. 2 overall pick is on the verge of making his highly-anticipated pro debut with the Golden State Warriors.
Following only 69 minutes of college hoops on his resume, Wiseman’s first appearance in the NBA will come in a season-opening primetime matchup against Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets.
After missing the start of training camp and the entire preseason due to reportedly testing positive for COVID-19, Wiseman is “good to go” for Golden State’s season opener against the Nets on Tuesday, according to Steve Kerr.
On a post-practice call with reporters, Kerr called Wiseman’s debut “a huge moment in his life and career.”
I hope he enjoys himself — the first game of his career. He only played three games at Memphis. This is obviously a huge moment in his life and his career. I want him to enjoy it.
He’s done really well in the practices he’s taken part in. We’re just trying to bring him along slowly and not put too much on his plate. We’ll try to keep things simple, and I think he’ll be fine out there.
Listen to Kerr’s full call via Warriors SoundCloud.
Although Wiseman will be on the floor against the Nets, it’s still unclear where he will land in the rotation. Kerr said he wouldn’t reveal the starting lineup for the season opener until Tuesday.
Kerr will have three options at the starting center position, including Kevon Looney, Marquese Chriss and the 2020 No. 2 overall pick. With Wiseman sidelined during the preseason, Looney was included in the starting lineup at center.
With Draymond Green ruled out against the Nets, all three of Golden State’s bigs could see an uptick in minutes in the frontcourt. However, the Warriors could be patient with Wiseman’s playing time as he becomes acclimated to the professional game.
With the 19-year-old coming off a limited training camp and only three games at the college level, Kerr could call on his experienced bigs for extended playing time.
The Warriors open the 2020-21 campaign against the Nets in Brooklyn at 4 P.M. PST on Tuesday.
