James Wiseman has been on a tear as of late. Wiseman’s sophomore season may have been cut short while he rehabbed from a knee injury he suffered as a rookie, but the former Memphis Tiger stayed the course and worked hard to get back to the court.

That persistence paid off as the third-year big man played well at Summer League, where his tantalizing skillset shined. Wiseman said he felt good after Summer League play and Coach Steve Kerr recently raved about Wiseman gaining a lot of confidence in his knee.

In the Golden State Warrior’s first preseason game in Tokyo, Japan, versus the Washington Wizards, Wiseman sure looked like his old self finishing the game with 20 points on 72.7 percent shooting from the field while grabbing nine rebounds and one block as well.

“This is my first game out of two years,” Wiseman said. “But I just went out there and just played my game. I wasn’t trying to do as much; I wasn’t trying to do something that was outside of my boundaries, just keep the game simple and just be myself out there.”

“I just went out there and just played my game”

James Wiseman on his 20-point performance in the #NBAJapanGames pic.twitter.com/0OxyzmN2GK

— NBA (@NBA) September 30, 2022

Wiseman’s preseason debut lasted a little over twenty-three minutes a. The brief stint filled Warriors fans’ minds with optimism as the Dubs look to win back-to-back championships. Given the Golden State Warrior’s strong foundation, a budding young core of talent, and a roster full of elite vets, there talented is no reason why the Warriors should not be top favorites to win it all again this season.

The 2022-23 NBA regular season will tip off on Tuesday, Oct. 18 with a doubleheader on TNT as the 76ers visit the reigning Eastern Conference champion Celtics and the defending NBA champion Warriors receive their championship rings before hosting the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/Kcvj4GoYNh

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 17, 2022

With the 2023 NBA season set to tip off in just a few more days, the Warriors start their long journey to become the back-to-back champs Tuesday, Oct. 18, versus the Los Angles Lakers.

The post James Wiseman: ‘Just Played My Game’ During First Warriors Preseason Game appeared first on SLAM.