Getty Golden State Warriors big man James Wiseman boxes out during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The James Wiseman injury saga has been the strangest aspect of what has otherwise been a triumphant season to date for the Golden State Warriors; a long and winding road that leads everywhere but his actual return to the court.
As November became December, there was a growing sense that the former No. 2 overall pick was getting close to receiving clearance for actual contact. During multiple media sessions, Warriors coach Steve Kerr even hinted that Wiseman could be nearing that milestone.
More recently, though, Kerr called himself “the boy who cried wolf” where the big man’s comeback is concerned, expressing frustration over the affair. “Several times I’ve said, ‘Yeah, we were hoping he would have contact in the next week,’ and then he didn’t for one reason or another.”
There’s no telling Wiseman’s return will finally come; even now, he has yet to be cleared for contact. However, he did hit something of a milestone on Saturday, and Kerr chanced a guess on his return date.
Wiseman Joins His Teammates for Non-Contact Practice
Although Golden State won’t play again until Monday, when the team squares off with the lottery-chasing Thunder in OKC, Twitter was abuzz on Saturday with reports coming out of Warriors practice.
As relayed by WarriorsTalk and others, Wiseman joined his teammates for a non-contact practice after having been on the floor throughout the week. It was further noted that Kerr said he “looked really good” in the effort.
The coach also served up a possible timetable for when the 20-year-old might find himself contributing on the court again. However, it may not be one that brings smiles to the faces of the Warriors faithful.
“There’s a chance that he could be playing come playoff time,” Kerr said, via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau. “We don’t really know what to expect.”
His teammates, meanwhile, have just been happy to see him more involved.
“That was a good step for him… for him just to be back on the court, it was great just to see him happy, see him in good spirits,” appraised Warriors guard Damion Lee of Wiseman’s participation, via NBC Sports’ Monte Poole.
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Former Lottery Pick Explodes for Warriors’ Affiliate
In January, Golden State’s G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, acquired former NBA lottery pick Jerome Robinson from the available player pool. Through his first five games with the club, though, he hadn’t done much to impress fans on the hardwood.
That all changed on Friday during the Warriors’ bout with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
Although Santa Cruz lost the game 127-115 to fall to 5-8 on the year, Robinson put up a game-high 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting in his first start for the team. He also added five assists, four rebounds and two steals while knocking down seven three-point shots. When he was on the floor, the Warriors actually outscored the Vipers by nine points.
Robinson was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft by the LA Clippers. Over 113 career games with the Clips and the Wizards, he has averaged 4.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.
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