While Nikola Jokic worked toward a second triple-double (he fell an assist short) in four days against Golden State on Thursday night, a big part of the Warriors' future was running the floor in California. Maybe one day James Wiseman will be Golden State’s antidote for the Denver Nuggets big man, but Thursday night he was competing against Neemias Queta of the Stockton Kings.
Eleven months to the day since tearing his meniscus in his right knee, Wiseman took the floor with the G League Santa Cruz Warriors in his first game action. He finished with 18 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes of a 109-99 loss, while flashing some solid athleticism. More importantly, Wiseman and the Warriors can exhale. He got a game under his belt.
"It felt like a dream," Wiseman said, via Anthony Slater of The Athletic. "I was just shocked to be out there. But I was grateful and super appreciative to be out there."
Wiseman started off the game a bit rusty for the Sea Dubs by missing his first three attempts, including an easy alley-oop attempt at the rim and a blocked attempt in transition. But he finished the evening by knocking down seven of his final 10 attempts, including three dunks.
"It felt good," Wiseman said of the put-back dunk. "It reminded me of myself last year."
Wiseman said the put-back was his favorite play of evening.
Strictly from the eye test, Wiseman looked like he was in great shape until he subbed out in the fourth quarter. He ran the floor, got up for dunks and spent most of his evening in pick-and-roll actions with two-way contract guard Chris Chiozza, who has appeared in 28 games with Golden State this season.
"I've been working out for the past year, so I'm just happy to be out there, be running again," Wiseman said. "Just getting up and down."
Defensively, Wiseman didn’t block any shots but certainly altered some. Queta – listed at 7-foot, 248 pounds – served as a solid sparring partner for Wiseman. At times, the 19-year-old Wiseman was pushed around by Queta, but Wiseman showed good activity and ability to change directions off his knee. He also got caught jumping early on a block attempt and hacked an opponent for a foul.
When Steve Kerr and his staff look at the tape, they’ll probably like what they see out of Wiseman. He wasn’t shy to assert himself on offense and try out a variety of shots. He went 0-for-2 from 3-point range but knocked down a couple of turnaround hooks. The 2021 No. 2 overall pick also showed off a nice mid-range stroke on his last bucket of the game.
It’s also worth noting that free throws were worth two points in the game, and Wiseman knocked down both of his. Technically he would have finished with 16 points in an NBA game or two more free-throw attempts, but we’re just splitting hairs.
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From here, Wiseman is slated to play on Sunday against the G League Ignite at Chase Center. Golden State has an off-day, so the franchise’s head honchos will be able to get an up-close look at Wiseman if desired. The Warriors’ next games are Monday against the Washington Wizards and Wednesday against the Boston Celtics. Given how Wiseman looked on Thursday, there’s reason to think he can rejoin the Warriors by next week.
Whether the 19-year-old will be able to crack the playoff rotation remains to be seen. But it’s not often you get to add an athletic 7-footer to your squad in the middle of a postseason push.
Coupled with Draymond Green’s impending return on Monday, Klay Thompson’s ramped-up conditioning and Andre Iguodala’s improving health, the Warriors are rounding into form. Gary Payton II’s nagging leg injury that has kept him out the past four games is concerning, but the full squad Dubs could finally be all together in a matter of days.
