For the second straight year to start his NBA career, James Wiseman is behind the curve with the Warriors.
Wiseman played in just three college games at Memphis, missed training camp during his rookie season due to COVID-19 and had his first season cut short due to a meniscus injury. One year later, the young center still is recovering from that knee injury and was unable to be a full participant in training camp.
With the Warriors' season right around the corner, what will Golden State miss most without the former No. 2 overall pick?
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"Well, we really don't have a lob threat right now in our pick-and-roll game, so James will give us a rim-runner in transition and a lob threat in the pick-and-roll," Kerr said Saturday to NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole. "And obviously the size and length defensively."
Wiseman, who is listed at 7-foot tall and 240 pounds, was limited to 39 games (27 starts) as a rookie. He averaged 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game.
The Memphis product would flash star potential at times but look lost at others. Remember, he still is only 20 years old.
To expedite Wiseman's progress on the court, the Warriors went out and added Nikola Jokic's former coach Dejan Milojevic in the offseason. Kerr believes Milojevic's hiring, as long as other new coaches on the Warriors' staff, will be a big help for Wiseman.
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"Obviously very young still and we're teaching him every day, so when he comes back, he'll still be in a learning process, but those are the things we'll be focusing on with him," Kerr said.
The Warriors will remain patient with Wiseman, hoping he will reach the ceiling saw they saw ahead of last year's draft.