Steph’s message to Wiseman as center’s Warriors return nears originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
James Wiseman has watched from the sidelines as the Warriors have roared out to a 5-1 record to start the season.
The second-year center was cleared for full practice Monday as he continues to rehab from knee surgery. While Wiseman’s official return timetable is unknown, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole reported that the 20-year-old center could return in mid-to-late November barring setbacks.
The new-look Warriors have been impressive early on, but Steph Curry knows Wiseman’s return will give Golden State another dimension on offense.
During the Warriors’ win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, Curry found Kevon Looney in the corner and the veteran got fouled. Curry walked over to Wiseman on the bench to explain how that action will look when he’s on the floor.
“Steph was just like, ‘When you come back, that’s going to be a lot of lobs right there,'” Wiseman said after practice on Monday. “It’s going to be a lot of open opportunities for me to score and for me to impact the team on the offensive end.”
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The Warriors are in need of a true vertical threat at the rim, and that’s something Wiseman can provide. The 20-year-old center will mainly be utilized in the pick-and-roll and has been working to sharpen his playmaking so he can find the Warriors shooters.
“That’s been my game ever since I was in high school anyways,” Wiseman said Monday about being used in the pick-and-roll. “So I’m used to that. Just keep it simple. That’s what I pride myself on doing this year is just keeping it simple. Because we have a lot of shooters this year, so I just work on playmaking skills, keep it simple and I’ll be fine.”