James Wiseman Excites Warriors Fans After Scoring 18 Points in 18 Minutes vs. Blazers

Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman appears ready for the regular season and has fans buzzing following a strong performance in the team's 131-98 preseason win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.

After racking up 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting, plus seven rebounds, two assists and one block in just 18 minutes, Wiseman discussed how much he is enjoying being back on the court:

Wiseman missed the Warriors' entire 2021-22 season, including their playoff run to a championship, because of a knee injury, but he had some highlight-worthy plays Tuesday night:

The 21-year-old 7-footer was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Memphis, and while he showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie, his season was cut short.

There are still going to be questions about his durability, but he has the potential to be a major contributor this season:

Wiseman and the Warriors cruised even with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and Draymond Green on the bench. Once they're all back on the court with a healthy Wiseman, the team looks even deeper and more well-rounded than it was last season.

The Warriors will tip off regular-season action Tuesday at home versus the Los Angeles Lakers.