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Warriors 2020-21 Season Preview – Centers

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NBA basketball officially returns in less than one week with the Warriors tipping off their season on Dec. 22 against the Brooklyn Nets (4 p.m., TNT). As we prepare for the 2020-21 campaign, we take a look at the Dubs’ roster position-by-position, starting with centers James Wiseman, Kevon Looney and Marquese Chriss.

James Wiseman

The 19-year-old James Wiseman joins the Dubs after being selected with the second overall pick of this year’s NBA Draft, marking the first time since 2012 when the Warriors selected Harrison Barnes seventh overall the team enters a season with a lottery pick joining their roster for his rookie season.

Wiseman played just three games in his NCAA career at Memphis where he averaged a double-double with 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds, while also logging 3.0 blocks per game before losing his eligibility due to an NCAA issue.

Though some may question how a 19-year-old Wiseman will adapt to the NBA with such limited NCAA experience, Kevon Looney has seen the potential in both the rookie’s skill and basketball IQ, noting after one day at training camp that the rookie center has already been picking the brains of Warriors — both old and new — around him.

“He’s been asking a lot of questions the days he’s been here. I know he’s off watching (film) with Zaza (Pachulia). That’s a great guy to learn from — I learned a lot from Zaza when I was in my first couple of years.”

“Whatever he asks me I try to help him with.. it seems like he’s willing to learn. It seems like he has a good IQ for the game and good feel already.”

When asked if starting and logging big minutes in his rookie season were a priority, Wiseman simply replied “I just want to win.”

“If I do start, if I don’t, it’s fine,” he continued. “I’m going to go out there and give it my full energy and just play hard.”

For now, Wiseman remains focussed on learning what he needs to succeed with the Warriors and at the NBA level. He has leaned on fellow centers Looney and Chriss, saying of his teammates: “They’re very smart players, so I’m just trying to learn from them… They’ve been teaching me a lot of stuff so I’m just trying to learn, that’s all.”

Kevon Looney

Kevon Looney is coming off a 2019-20 campaign in which he played just 20 of the Dubs’ 65 games, missing most of the season due to neuropathy and hip soreness. The 24-year-old also underwent offseason surgery to repair a core muscle injury.

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The number of injuries and challenges Looney faced do not phase the veteran though: “I wasn’t too worried.”

“I’ve been through a lot with injuries and I kind of know the process, I know what it takes to get back and I’ve been through the rehab stages before,” said Looney. “I knew once I got the surgery and got the proper rehab and had a lot of time to heal that I was going to be able to get back and be able to play at a high level.”

“I’m feeling better. I’m feeling confident. I feel like the rehab was great. I’m excited to show everyone what I can do.”

Marquese Chriss

The 23-year-old Marquese Chriss is coming off of his best season of his career after posting personal bests in points (9.3), rebounds (6.2), assists (1.9) and blocks (1.1) in 20.3 minutes per game with the Dubs. This came on the heels of a dramatic training camp in which Chriss joined the squad through a training camp invite and earned a way into the rotation with stellar play early in the campaign.

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But issues including cap space and two-way contract limitations would make for an even wilder ride for Chriss.

“Being waived, being signed back (on a two-way contract), having my deal converted… it was a weird season to say the least,” said Chriss in a preseason meeting with media. “I’m grateful (the Warriors) gave me a chance to come here and I’m happy with myself making the most of the opportunity.”

But looking forward to the season, Chriss sees the advantage of now working as one part of the Dubs’ trio at the center spot: “I think we all offer different things.”

“Me as far as my passing and trying to play-make and things like that,” continued Chriss. “(Looney) on the defensive end and is just a really smart player. And then I think James just comes in and he does everything. He does everything really well.”

So when it comes to having the three unique centers on the squad, Chriss said “I think it’s going to work for us pretty well having different players who can offer different things at different times in the game. It’s going to give us a lot of versatility.”

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