Getty/Ezra Shaw Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves battles for a rebound against a trio of Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco.
James Wiseman has had the toughest rehabs of all the Warriors this season. Klay Thompson came back from an Achilles injury, but no Warriors has had a return date from training camp pushed back to the point the regular season is drawing to an end.
That is the story of Wiseman’s 2021-22 season. His sophomore year has been mostly sitting around and waiting, and the big man has been anxiously working his way back to the Dubs.
Wiseman has just finished three games in the G-League, averaging 17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds with the Santa Cruz Warriors. He has been able to show everyone the skills that made him such a high draft pick at No. 2.
The big man even stated that he feels good, and that the meniscus injury he had has no lingering effects while he’s been on the court. The main concern for Wiseman has been just getting his body back into game shape, and figuring out how to cut down on turnovers.
“[He’s] just gotta keep working, and building his conditioning,” Steve Kerr says before March 17’s game against the Celtics. “He gets tired during his runs, and if he can sustain the energy during his run, that would probably be a result of better conditioning.”
Bob Myers Has a Date in Mind
After March 16’s matinee with the Celtics, the Dubs now have three full off-days to figure out what they want to do. Their next game is March 20 when they host the Spurs. The Santz Cruz Warriors have two games this weekend, March 19 against the Agua Caliente Clippers and March 20 against the Salt Lake City Stars.
Warriors GM Bob Myers hopped onto his usual bi-weekly spot on 95.7 The Game’s Morning Roast on March 15 and spoke about when Wiseman would be back in the rotation.
“It’s up in the air. We’re gonna have a few days off here and practice together. We’ll see how that goes. We’ll decide whether he needs a G-League game or he’s ready to go, and Steve will put him in the rotation.
…But putting him in some NBA games, and getting him some NBA minutes, because if we don’t, it’s not fair to him and his teammates to throw him into a playoff game. I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t know if its 5 days or 7 days away or whatever it might be from an NBA game. It’s coming and hopefully that will leave us 10 games to utilize and put him in spots where we might be able to use him.”
Even though Myers made it known that Wiseman would be back soon, he was pretty vague in terms of when exactly the big man would make his debut. However, the Warriors officially called up the big man back to the main roster on March 16, so we’re starting to get more hints as to when Wiseman should return.
Jason Dumas of KRON4 reported that Myers was hoping that the former No. 2 pick could make his return for Sunday, March 20, against the Spurs. The team is hoping Wiseman can get a couple practices under his belt with the Warriors before he makes his debut this weekend.
The Warriors have re-called James Wiseman from the GLeague. Bob Myers mentioned he hopes Wiseman plays possibly on Sunday against the Spurs after the team gets in a couple practices.
Exactly What Role Will Wiseman Return To?
The big man will likely not return to the role he grew accustomed to during his rookie year. Kevon Looney will man the bulk of the center minutes for the Dubs, and Wiseman is expected to spell Looney when Looney needs a breather. Obviously, things may change if Wiseman is able to change momentum during games, but as of now, the team is expected to play him in a backup capacity.
Myers spoke about how Wiseman’s biggest improvement has come with his rebounding, something the Warriors could certainly use. On a March 1 appearance on the Morning Roast program, Myers talked about how Wiseman is expected to play a role similar to JaVale McGee—when he was with the Warriors.
The Dubs have been undersized for most of the year, and Wiseman will definitely provide relief in that department. Outside of finishing around the rim, blocking shots, and grabbing rebounds, Wiseman will not have too much pressure right now to perform at what was expected when he was drafted No. 2, and that is probably a good thing, considering how the former Memphis Tiger has been out of commission for almost an entire year.