In a blowout loss to the Brooklyn Nets on opening night, rookie James Wiseman provided a lone bright spot for the Golden State Warriors.
After missing the start of training camp and all three preseason games, the No. 2 overall pick lived up to the hype in his first game action since he was a member of the Memphis Tigers on Nov. 12, 2019.
In his role as Golden State’s starting center, Wiseman tallied 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting with six boards and two steals in 24 minutes. The 19-year-old only finished one point behind Steph Curry for the Warriors’ top scorer against the Nets.
Following tipoff, it didn’t take long for the rookie to get on the board with his first official points as an NBA player. Just 49 seconds into the contest, Wiseman finished a pass in the lane from Andrew Wiggins with a two-handed slam dunk.
Via @gswchris on Twitter:
JAMES WISEMAN ERA IS HERE pic.twitter.com/CAjDroNAAF
— Chris Montano (@gswchris) December 23, 2020
Later in the first half, Wiseman laid up a crafty finger roll on a drive through traffic to the basket.
You love to see this from James Wiseman pic.twitter.com/TElvIGSr6G
— Chris Montano (@gswchris) December 23, 2020
Although he didn’t finish it with a dunk, Curry was looking for his new teammate on a lob attempt.
Via @B_R_R_D on Twitter:
Wiseman w/ the alley oop from Curry #Warriors 35 #Nets 50 Q2 pic.twitter.com/M950Tb007S
— Sports ②④x⑦ (@B_R_R_D) December 23, 2020
In the second half, Wiseman’s full range of potential was on display. After scoring a handful of buckets inside, the former McDonald’s All-American stepped out for some long-range jumpers.
In his first attempt from beyond the arc, the 7-footer knocked down a triple from the top of the key. After his first official 3-pointer, Wiseman buried another confident jumper from just inside the 23 feet.
James Wiseman has 17 on 60% shooting pic.twitter.com/gpuYTMwS1n
— Chris Montano (@gswchris) December 23, 2020
To cap off his second-half run, Wiseman caught a lob for a dunk from Jordan Poole in the lane.
Via @NBAFRANCE on Twitter:
James Wiseman.
17 PTS, 6 REB. pic.twitter.com/pgmAlWbUXI
— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) December 23, 2020
With his first official NBA game in the books, Wiseman will have the chance to capitalize on his exciting debut with another primetime matchup. On Christmas Day, the Warriors will travel to Milwaukee for a matchup with reigning Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
