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Steve Kerr Reveals James Wiseman's Role Next Season
If the Golden State Warriors can get a healthy James Wiseman for most of next season, there is real reason to believe the defending champions will be even more difficult to beat. The former second-overall pick has struggled with injuries to begin his career, but with Kevon Looney re-signing with the Warriors this offseason, there is much less pressure on the young center to fill a big role.
Head coach Steve Kerr recently told Anthony Slater of The Athletic that "Loon will come back as the starter. 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."
While not unsurprising, this confirms that James Wiseman will have an opportunity to play behind an experienced NBA champion at the center position. Additionally, Looney can mentor the young center both on and off the court. Having dealt with injuries early in his career much like Wiseman has, Looney knows what it takes to overcome adversity.
"I think this will be a more natural progression for James, one that didn’t really happen his rookie year because of the situation," Kerr told Slater. "We felt like we needed to get him as much experience as possible, and Looney was coming off a season where he missed all that time with the nerve issues. So this seems much more natural, much more organic."
Unlike his rookie season, where Wiseman was expected to play a key role on a Warriors team lacking depth, the young center will have an opportunity to back up an established winner that can help him grow.
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