After missing the last week of the Warriors team’s activities due to NBA health and safety protocols, James Wiseman is returning to the court on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers and is also returning to the starting lineup.
Even before he was prevented from participating in the Warriors’ last three games, Wiseman was leaving the bench. The last time he started was on January 23 against Utah Jazz. That’s when Steve Kerr chose to put Kevon Looney on the starting lineup, instead of the 19-year-old newcomer.
“At the beginning of the season, when I moved to Loon, I felt it was the right thing to do in a competitive and rotating way,” said Kerr at his pre-match press conference. “And I think we did very well. Our defense has gotten a lot better, the revs have improved. But it seems now. It looks like the right time to do that. It will be great for James to get a good stretch here over the past 29 games. “
Kerr said he can predict himself as a Wiseman starter for the rest of the season, which, as he said, is another 29 games.
Wiseman’s first year in the NBA was anything but smooth, not necessarily because of his game, but because of outside events that kept him out of court.
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Before the start of the season, he tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to miss the training ground. In February, he lost 12 games due to a sprained left wrist. And last week he, along with Looney, was detained for contact tracking.
As the season reaches its final push, Kerr now sees it as the best time for Wiseman to find any substantial pace and development on the court that the big young man has not been able to accomplish so far.
“We feel that after more than 40 games, wherever we are, James has done very well,” said Kerr. “He learned a lot of the concepts, it is very important now, especially given the absences … he needs to be out there.”
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