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The Golden State Warriors have decided to shut down second-year big man James Wiseman for the year.
The Dubs’ decision to bench the former No. 2 overall pick was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski via Twitter on Friday, March 25.
“ESPN Sources: Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman has been ruled out for the rest of the season and will continue rehabilitating his right knee,” Wojnarowski wrote. “Wiseman has been recovering from a meniscus repair last April, and the team has been cautious to protect him for the long-term.”
Wiseman has averaged 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game over 39 appearances, including 27 starts, throughout the course of his young career.
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Wiseman News Comes After Second Setback of Season
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GettyGolden State Warriors center James Wiseman reacts after suffering an injury during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Word of Wiseman’s shelving for the rest of the season comes after news of his second setback of the 2021-22 campaign.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported on March 19 that Wiseman suffered new swelling in his surgically-repaired knee and would rest indefinitely as a result. The 20-year-old had appeared in three games for the Sea Dubs, Golden State’s G League affiliate, and was in the final stages of his rehabilitation before rejoining the team for the first time in more than a year.
Wiseman was initially expected back around mid-season, with December mentioned as a target month on the timeline. However, after he failed to return and 2021 flipped to 2022, it was revealed that Wiseman had undergone a second arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed frustration on his player’s behalf, admitting that the rehab process had surprised everyone in the organization — and not in a good way.
“There’s just no blueprint for this,” Kerr told KNBR on January 26. “This is such a unique set of circumstances, and we will just have to see how it plays out. We thought it was going to play out very differently. We thought he would be back by now. I just feel so bad for James. He is working every day. He is keeping a really good, positive spirit about him. But we want so badly for him to get his career started and off the ground. The poor guy is dealing with the injury, with the knee, and we just don’t know when he is going to turn the corner.”
Wiseman Call Leaves Golden State Shorthanded on Interior
Getty/Katelyn MulcahyCenter Kevon Looney of the Golden State Warriors contests a call against the LA Clippers in Los Angeles.
Wiseman’s absence has been felt all season, but it will likely be even more noticeable come the playoffs.
The Warriors boast one of the deepest roster in the league, clawing their way to a 48-26 record and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference through March 25 despite Klay Thompson missing the first 39 games of the season as he recovered from a torn achilles tendon, Draymond Green missing a 30-game stretch due to a back issue, and Steph Curry who is currently sidelined with a sprained foot ligament.
The one area in which the Dubs lack depth, however, is on the front line. Center Kevon Looney has had a strong season, but Golden State will unquestionably be short-handed on the defensive interior even if Green remains healthy through the playoffs and can help shoulder some of the load.
The Warriors had multiple opportunities to either trade for some help on the inside or add a big man by way of the buyout market, though general manager Bob Myers ultimately chose not to do either. It is a decision the Dubs will now have to reconcile in their quest for another trip to the NBA Finals, which could include matchups against Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton and/or Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic, among others.
Myers appeared Wednesday on 95.7 The Game to address his decision not to add more depth on the Warriors’ front line.
“If I had known that [Green] would be back when he was or that [Wiseman] would suffer setbacks, who knows? Any team could say that. But at the time, thinking [Wiseman] is coming back, thinking [Green] is coming back a little bit earlier, probably fed into that [decision],” Myers said. “I would push back a little bit. Not trying to be defensive, but there wasn’t an obvious, ‘There’s a great big guy, let’s go get him.'”