Getty Golden State Warriors big man James Wiseman takes photos with a disposable camera during his team's 2021 media day.
The Bay Area has been the comeback capital of the NBA in recent weeks, with multiple Golden State Warriors making returns. First, it was Klay Thompson, who ended a 941-day absence in January. Draymond Green was up next, rejoining the team for a big win over the Wizards on Monday.
Now, Dub Nation turns its attention to former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, who was forced out of action for nearly a year due to a torn right meniscus.
Of course, Wiseman has already played in his first post-injury games, joining the Sea Dubs for bouts with the Stockton Kings and G League Ignite over the weekend. He looked good, too, averaging 18.5 points, 10 rebounds and one blocked shot.
As such, fans naturally expect him to be back in the mix for the big club any day now. However, they may have to wait just a little bit longer for the 20-year-old to finally make his NBA season debut.
Warriors GM Updates the Situation
On Tuesday, Warriors GM Bob Myers had his regularly scheduled visit with 95.7 The Game‘s Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky on The Morning Roast. During the guest spot, Myers pointed out that Wiseman’s rehab isn’t moving on a pre-determined, straight-line path.
It’s a process that is constantly being re-evaluated by the team.
And while he indicated that Wiseman wouldn’t be playing against the Celtics on Wednesday, he couldn’t confirm one way or the other what might happen on Sunday against the Spurs.
“It’s kind of up in the air,” Myers said. “We’re gonna have a few days off here and practice together. We’ll see how that goes. We’ll decide whether he needs another G League game or if he’s ready to go and Steve [Kerr] will put him in the rotation.”
In any case, Myers made it clear that getting him reps with the first team is a priority for the club.
“I think we are getting to some level where – maybe it’s not Wednesday, maybe it’s not Sunday – but putting him in some NBA games and getting him some NBA minutes. If we don’t, it’s not fair to him or his teammates to just throw him in a playoff game. I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
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Myers Impressed With Wiseman’s G League Output
Just like Warriors fans, Myers watched Wiseman’s G League outings with keen interest. For the most part, he really liked what he saw, too.
“If I were to evaluate it, the first game, I thought, really good,” Myers said.
“Under control. Some of his teammates were taking some of his rebounds, which is fine as long as we get the rebound. The biggest improvement I saw was in the rebounding. I saw a big leap there as far as getting in position to rebound, securing the rebound. His finishing is elite. When he gets it around the rim, he is elite. Catching it in traffic is something he has to work on.”
Myers further noted that Wiseman “explored his game a little more” on Sunday, which he was more than OK with. However, he conceded that the baller will likely be more limited in what he’s allowed to do at the NBA level.
Golden State’s top decision-maker did identify one area where Wiseman can make an impact, though.
“I imagine it’s going to be a lot of high-screen-and-rolls, and because of how big he is, somebody has to go with him. We don’t have that dive threat. The last time we did was JaVale McGee. We will need that.”
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Warriors Exec Updates Former No. 2 Overall Pick’s NBA Return Plan