Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr bumped prized rookie James Wiseman to the bench in their 130-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. The three-time NBA champion coach opted to start with veteran center Kevon Looney in the hopes of preventing another slow start, which has been a problem this season.
Wiseman ended up playing just 16 minutes in the reserve role, below his customary 21-minute workload in his first 16 games as Golden State's starting center. The No. 2 overall pick took the lineup change in stride and even admitted he's even gaining more knowledge while watching on the sidelines:
“I look at it as a learning experience. It's nothing bad at all, just due to the fact that we're figuring the rotations and stuff. But everything's coming together. I'm most definitely learning over there (on the bench) more, so it's really helpful for my development as a basketball player.”
Watch James Wiseman's postgame interview via NBC Sports Bay Area:
Asked to expound on how the benching is going to be helpful for his growth, Wiseman said that just being able to see the game and watch Looney on the floor would prepare him more prior to entering:
“Because I can be able to read more schemes. While I'm on the bench I can be able to see more. I'm even more prepared when I get out there because I know what to expect, and I'm in better positioning when I'm actually looking at Loon and other bigs play.”
How's that for an answer, Dub Nation? Warriors fans must be thrilled to hear these words from the 19-year-old. Wiseman has shown a mature attitude and a willingness to learn and listen to his veterans since coming in.
For his part, James Wiseman still scored 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting on the night. He also grabbed four rebounds and swatted away two shots in his first game off the bench in his career.
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