One of the keys to the Golden State Warriors repeating as NBA champs this coming season and winning their fifth world title in nine years will be the play of James Wiseman.
After showing some promise as a rookie in the 2020-21 campaign, Wiseman missed all of this past season due to injury, but he has looked good in this year’s NBA Summer League as he looks to make a return to the big leagues.
On Friday, as the Warriors took on the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 7-foot-tall center did very well, scoring 14 points, grabbing seven rebounds and blocking a shot in just 22 minutes of play.
He flashed parts of his impressive skill set throughout the contest, giving Golden State fans a glimpse of how he can help the team this fall, winter and spring.
Wiseman Did A Little Bit Of Everything
The Tennessee native was very efficient from the floor, hitting 4-of-6 shots overall, and part of the reason why was his off-the-ball movement that got him easy baskets.
In the third quarter, he ran a pick-and-roll with guard Mac McClung, who then found him for a lob pass that led to an easy stuff.
Mac McClung no look pass to James Wiseman pic.twitter.com/0AaKcxJlVx
— Alex 👋 (@Dubs408) July 16, 2022
But Wiseman also flashed his jumper and range by hitting a 3-pointer off good ball movement in the second quarter.
James Wiseman from deep! ☔️#NBASummer pic.twitter.com/rNIVZMmQzt
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 15, 2022
An even more encouraging sign is his rebounding, which was highlighted by a sequence early in the contest when he boxed out, fought for an offensive board off a Jonathan Kuminga miss and turned it into a strong dunk.
I've seen a more concerted effort from James Wiseman these past few games in terms of aggressively going for the rebound. He's bigger than everyone else on the floor, and he's acting like it. pic.twitter.com/tGjA0mCP81
— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) July 15, 2022
In general, something else that will encourage Warriors fans is how well Wiseman has been setting screens for teammates who have the ball in their hands, which can lead to an easy basket either for him or someone else.
James Wiseman Summer League Ballscreens pic.twitter.com/1mnr6rTxH2
— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) July 14, 2022
These are the types of things that must make head coach Steve Kerr get excited with anticipation of how these skills will translate to the regular season and playoffs versus the big boys.
Wiseman Has Lots To Offer
It’s easy to forget that Wiseman was the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, especially since he hasn’t played in an official NBA game for more than a calendar year.
In 2021, he put up 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocked shots in 21.4 minutes per game, which translates to nearly 20 points, 10 boards and two blocks per 36 minutes.
His inside presence, rebounding, defense and athleticism can make the Warriors even more formidable in 2023, especially given that they have lacked a center with legitimate center size for a while.
At times during the NBA Finals versus the Boston Celtics, Golden State looked a bit small with 6-foot-9 Kevon Looney, 6-foot-8 Otto Porter Jr. and 6-foot-7 Draymond Green playing the 5.
Wiseman will greatly help rectify that issue.
With Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson getting close to becoming long in the tooth, the development of Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody will determine just how long Golden State’s championship window will ultimately be.
NEXT: Should The Warriors Look Into Signing Dwight Howard?
