Warriors center James Wiseman’s long-awaited return to action didn’t disappoint in his NBA Summer League debut on Sunday.
Wiseman, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, showed off his athleticism in a physical performance that included a monster alley-oop dunk from forward Jonathan Kuminga on the Warriors’ first possession of the 86-85 comeback win against the Spurs.
It marked Wiseman’s first bucket since March, during his short stint in the G-League. Before that, the 7-foot center hadn’t played since April 2021, missing all of last season after undergoing surgery for a torn right meniscus.
Wiseman finished his Summer League debut with 11 points on 5 of 7 shooting, two rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes.
Wiseman said his knee felt “great” during the game, although it was “difficult” to perform at times due to him being out of action.
“It felt good,” Wiseman said. “There are a lot of things for me to work on, I mean, my timing was pretty off. But this was my first game. I had fun out there.”
Warriors summer league coach Jama Mahlalela told Wiseman to have fun and enjoy himself, and everything else would fall into place.
“For him to be able to come out and play in a summer league game like today with good composure and playing at the rim, blocking some shots, he just looked like a really good basketball player,” Mahlalela said. “That first outing is all we wanted, and we told him to come out, have fun, enjoy the game and let it come to him.”
Wiseman had been participating in solo workouts while ramping up to his summer league debut, and was thrilled to have an impactful presence in the paint.
“It was physical. That’s a huge adjustment,” Wiseman said. “I’ve been out, so I’ve been doing a lot of individual workouts. So for me to just get that pushing, that physical contact, I’m proud to be out there.”
Mahlalela said Wiseman’s teammates were cheering for him in the locker room after his first outing in a while.
“Every conversation I have with him is, I am so proud of you but now the real work begins,’” Mahlalela said.
The Warriors won the NBA title this year without Wiseman, topping the Celtics in six games in the NBA Finals.
