Kerr can barely contain excitement about Wiseman's potential

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Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Thursday he doesn't pay much attention to players' per-36 numbers.

But in the case of rookie center James Wiseman's staggering rates, Kerr's willing to let Golden State fans dare to dream.

"You should be excited," Kerr said Thursday in an interview with "Damon, Ratto & Kolsky" on 95.7 The Game. "He is going to score at a big level when he's ready to play 30, 35 minutes. And last night [against the Indiana Pacers], I think he fouled out in 18 minutes, so he's not ready yet for a heavy minutes load for a number of reasons. But the No. 1 reason is he's 19, and he's just a kid. But he's so mature, he's so poised. He's learning daily and he's so gifted that, yes, when he's developed -- whenever that is, I don't even want to put a timetable on it -- but when this thing comes to fruition, it's gonna be exciting."

In his first professional season, the 2020 NBA Draft's No. 2 overall pick has averaged 21.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per 36 minutes. That compares very favorably with the league's elite centers, as NBC Sports Bay Area's Brian Witt observed Wednesday night.

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Of course, Wiseman -- still just a teenager, in case you needed a reminder -- has only 22 regular-season games under his belt, and he's not even starting anymore. There's a lot of time left for him to develop, and just as much for things to go sideways.

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But it's clear Wiseman is brimming with potential, and even clearer that the Warriors are so excited about it.

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