In his NBA debut, James Wiseman will reportedly start for the Golden State Warriors at the center position in the NBA season opener against the Brooklyn Nets.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic first reported Wiseman would be in the starting lineup against Kevin Durant and the Nets for Golden State’s first regular-season game in nine months.
On Monday, Steve Kerr said Wiseman was “good to go” for his debut after missing the entire preseason and the start of training camp due to reportedly testing positive for COVID-19.
According to Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle, Wiseman is expected to play in short bursts against Brooklyn.
Via The San Francisco Chronicle:
Wiseman — the No. 2 pick in last month’s NBA draft — is expected to be limited to six- or seven-minute bursts Tuesday.
Golden State’s No. 2 overall draft pick will make his first NBA start with no preseason or summer league experience. The last time Wiseman suited up for a game was Nov. 12, 2019 with the Memphis Tigers.
At Memphis, Wiseman notched three consecutive double-doubles, averaging 19.7 points on 76.9% shooting from the field with 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per contest.
After only playing three games in college, the 19-year-old will now make his highly-anticipated debut in a primetime slot against an Eastern Conference playoff contender.
Kevon Looney and Marquese Chriss will back the rookie up in Golden State’s frontcourt. With Draymond Green sidelined for the season opener, Kerr could rely on all his bigs for minutes against the Nets.
The Warriors start the season against the Nets in Brooklyn at 4 P.M. PST on Tuesday.