The finish line is in sight for James Wiseman to make his much-anticipated debut. The second-year center has checked off a lot of items on his to-do list as he rehabs from a torn meniscus in his right knee last April.
Over the next couple of weeks, Wiseman could achieve another big milestone in his return attempts – live game action. Warriors president of basketball operations/general manager Bob Myers joined 95.7 The Game’s “The Morning Roast” with Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky on Tuesday to relay the latest info on James Wiseman and more. You can hear the full interview below:
The second-year center played in 3-on-3 scrimmage action with the Warriors Monday in Minnesota as they prepped for Tuesday night’s 5 p.m. PT matchup against the Timberwolves – which will be broadcast on 95.7 The Game.
“I don’t have a target date,” Myers said of Wiseman’s return. “I talked to [Warriors coach] Steve [Kerr] last night. He was watching [Wiseman] do 3-on-3, he’s done 5-on-5. It’s really about having enough of that body of work to then say, ‘Go play.’... The reps are the big thing. He’s gotta rep as many times as he can because he missed so much time. It’s all moving in the right direction.”
The Warriors cleared Wiseman for contact work on the court shortly before the All-Star break. Since Golden State reconvened last week, Wiseman has been playing on a nearly daily basis in contact scrimmages or practices.
“That’s the final part to playing,” Myers said. “Whether he starts in Santa Cruz or the NBA, I don’t know yet. But the idea would be to maybe at least get him a game in Santa Cruz and then hopefully get him some time with our team and let Steve decide how he wants to use him. He’s progressing fine. Hopefully in the next week or two, whatever it is, we can find a time to get him out on the court.”
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The Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s affiliate in the G League, will be playing its next 12 games in California. Eight of those games will be held in Santa Cruz, while two more will be played in Stockton and one will be played in Ontario, so the Sea Dubs won’t be traveling far over the next four weeks.
A possible date to keep an eye on is March 13, when the Santa Cruz Warriors host the G League Ignite at Chase Center. The game could give Wiseman a chance to play in an NBA arena without NBA consequences. The March 13 Santa Cruz matchup also falls in the middle of a four-game Golden State homestand, so the Warriors’ coaching staff could get an up-close look at Wiseman in San Francisco if desired.
Golden State is reeling and has lost five of seven while its interior defense has been exposed. Wiseman and his athletic 7-foot frame could be a valuable addition off the bench for Kerr.
“I think if you look at what he can do and what he’s uniquely gifted at is vertical spacing, which is really a pick-and-roll dive threat,” Myers said. “Some rim protection, some rebounding and some size and some physicality. Then it’s up to Steve and the staff to simplify what they ask him to do early on.”
