Injuries have stalled Wiseman’s early development while Looney has returned to health and morphed into a durable interior force and trusted starting center on a title team. They locked him into a reasonable three-year contract this summer, and he returns as the unquestioned starter ahead of Wiseman. “Loon will come back as the starter,” Kerr said. “He has earned that and then some. We’re all thrilled that he’s back. There was a real fear that we’d lose him. To get him back is massive for our team. It sets up well for Loon to continue what he did for us last year. In doing so, he’s really a good mentor for James.”