James Wiseman is good to go Thursday night.
The Warriors rookie will play, but won't start, against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center, Steve Kerr told reporters in a pregame video conference. Wiseman's availability was in question after he missed a mandatory COVID-19 test during the All-Star break.
"Yes, he is available," Kerr said of Wiseman. "Yeah, he was cleared by the league."
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The 19-year-old didn't practice with Golden State on Wednesday night due to the missed test, something Kerr lamented in a post-practice video conference.
“It was a mistake,” coach Steve Kerr said Wednesday. “He just forgot. It’s disappointing because he could have used the practice tonight. And we needed him out there. So, it’s disappointing that he made the mistake.”
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Wiseman started at center in the Warriors' last game before the All-Star break, and Kerr told reporters at the time that he was going to play more in the second half of the season. Kevon Looney will start at center Thursday, ensuring the Warriors open the game with what has, statistically, been their best five-man lineup: Steph Curry, Kelly Oubre Jr., Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Looney.
Golden State Warriors
Kerr said Wiseman's on-court development remains a priority, and he wants to supplement the rookie's increased minutes with additional practice time.
"We'd like to get more live action in practice, but this doesn't just come down to 'Alright, we gotta play James more minutes,' " Kerr said. "It's really about the comprehensive development of a young guy who is brand new to the league and whatever we can do to advance him so that he can catch up to his talent as quickly as possible, we're going to do.
"But we're also well aware that you can't just wave a magic wand. There's a lot of work involved and we're going to work with him and help him grow. And it's an exciting process."