MAKING HISTORY
Wiseman sets Warriors’ rookie record with 19 points in season-opening loss
Thank goodness for James Wiseman. If it weren’t for the 19-year- old Warriors rookie there would have been little reason for fans to keep watching Golden State’s season opener in Brooklyn Tuesday night.
Those who ( rightfully?) changed the channel or simply shut off their TVs in disgust during the Warriors’ embarrassing 125- 99 loss missed witnessing team history.
Wiseman, Golden State’s freakishly gifted and much- hyped 7-footer, scored 19 points to tie Sarunas Marciulionis’ team record for most points ever by a Warriors rookie in his NBA debut since the franchise arrived from Philadelphia in 1962.
“He played really well,” Warriors
coach Steve Kerr said. “He looked great out there. I would have preferred a game where we actually were in the game and playing at a competitive level, but obviously we got crushed tonight.
“But James showed exactly why we’re very excited about him. He’s a really talented guy and he’s smart and hardworking and he wants to do well and fit in with
his teammates, so he’s got a bright future.”
Wiseman, who added six rebounds and two steals during his 24 minutes of action in his pro debut, erased a little more of the Warriors past with his 19-point performance. He broke Chris Webber’s record for most points by a Warriors center in his NBA debut.
Webber, whose first NBA appearance in 1993 arguably remains the most anticipated debut in Warriors history, scored 15 points against Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon in his first pro game.
Watching Wiseman quickly acclimate himself to the NBA turned out to be a good reason to stick with Tuesday’s broadcast. He immediately announced his presence with an authoritative slam dunk for the Warriors’ first basket of the season. Wiseman, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft last month, then treated those who stuck around to an impressive flurry of baskets late in the fourth quarter. In a span of less than a minute, he buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key, nailed a 20-footer from the corner and capped his scoring outburst with an alleyoop slam.
It was some impressive stuff from a guy who played just three collegiate games at Memphis, the last coming 13 months ago.
“I think I did really well for not playing (in) a year,” Wiseman said. “And due to the protocols and stuff, I just got to get my conditioning back up. But in terms of everything else, my first game and not playing in a whole year, I feel like I did well. But I feel like I should have been more aggressive on the boards. But we lost, so it doesn’t matter.”
Still, making a little history isn’t a bad consolation prize for Wiseman.