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As training camp officially began this week after being delayed by two positive COVID tests, the start of preseason is approaching for the Golden State Warriors. However, we may not get to see two key players on the court just yet.
Star forward Draymond Green and No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman have missed the beginning of Golden State’s training camp including group practices. According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Twitter, Draymond Green and James Wiseman tested positive for the coronavirus at the start of camp.
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Another Hit to the Golden State Warriors
For players to be able to return to the court, Green and Wiseman will need to be quarantined for 10 to 12 days and test negative two times per the league’s protocols. The two were ruled out for the first preseason game against the Sacramento Kings by head coach Steve Kerr.
After ruling out both Green and Wiseman for the first preseason game Steve Kerr says it’s “very unlikely” that either will play in any of the preseason matchups per Drew Shiller on Twitter.
Even though both players did not participate in the group practice, Green and Wiseman both made appearances at the Warriors training facility on Thursday. Green was able to be a little more involved being able to attend a film session while Wiseman participated in his own individual workout which involved putting up shots per the Warriors’ SoundCloud.
This seems to be a little unsettling for Wiseman’s future because the question arises if he is up to speed in Golden State. Let’s not forget he only played three college games last year, but rushing the first-round draft pick is the last thing the team wants to do. As the Warriors have already experienced this offseason, the most important thing is keeping their players healthy, with regards to COVID and conditioning.
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Green and Wiseman are Out, Who’s In?
So what does the front court look like minus Green and Wiseman? It seems like the Warriors will have to rely on Marquese Chriss, Kevon Looney, Alen Smailagic, and Kaled Wesson during the preseason matchups against the Denver Nuggets and Kings.
Not that there wasn’t already heated competition for that center spot on the Warriors’ starting lineup, now that Wiseman is out for the season it gives Looney and Chriss an edge. These preseason games are a key factor to see who could potentially secure the starting position at center. Although the team had probably planned on building around the rookie Wiseman, Looney and Chriss have more minutes to prove that they deserve the spot.
Green and Wiseman’s next potential opportunity to make their upcoming season debut will be the regular-season opener against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, Dec. 22.
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Odds Are Slim That Warriors’ Green and Wiseman Will Make a Preseason Appearance