Following an up and down start to his NBA career, Golden State Warriors center James Wisemen set the hardwood on fire with an electrifying Alley-Oop, his first bucket since March.
Wiseman missed all of 2021-22 as he recovered from knee surgery that cut his rookie season short. The Warriors had remained optimistic that Wiseman would be able to get onto the floor for Summer League 2022, which has happened and paid dividends in this game against the Spurs.
Wiseman looked like the player Golden State has been looking for since he was drafted back in 2020, finishing with 11 points, two rebounds, and two blocks in 20 minutes. He played four-minute spurts to start each quarter but will look to ramp up his time as the summer league progresses.
“It felt good,” Wiseman said via ESPN. “There are a lot of things for me to work on; I mean, my timing was pretty off. But this was my first game. I had fun out there.”
Wiseman’s feel for the game has not left him, but considering the amount of time he has missed, being out on the floor and playing the way he did was a massive success for both him and the Warriors.
“It was physical. That’s a huge adjustment,” Wiseman said. “I’ve been out, so I’ve been doing a lot of individual workouts. So for me to just get that pushing, that physical contact, I’m proud to be out there.”
Johnathan Kumninga led the way for the Warriors with 28 points, while Mac McClung added 22 points in their 86-85 win over the Spurs in their second Summer League game.
Golden State’s next game will be against the Boston Celtics, with tipoff slated for 8:30 p.m. EST.
