Despite his call-up to the Golden State Warriors, don’t expect second-year center James Wiseman to make his season debut against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
A few hours before the 7 p.m. PT tip-off (which can be heard on 95.7 The Game), the Warriors announced they recalled Wiseman from Santa Cruz of the G League. Wiseman played a strong second half in Tuesday night’s contest for the Sea Dubs en route to 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes of action.
Though he’s technically eligible off the bench for Warriors coach Steve Kerr Wednesday night, Wiseman won’t be playing, according to president/general manager Bob Myers. The plan is to have Wiseman practice with his NBA teammates at some point over the next three days and decide if he’s ready to return for Sunday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.
“That would be a back-to-back, which we’re avoiding right now,” Myers told 95.7 The Game. “From then on it’s kind of up in the air. 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 will put him in the rotation. But 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."
In three contests with the Sea Dubs this season, Wiseman is averaging 17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game while shooting 52.3 percent from the floor. He might get exposed at the NBA level, especially on defense, but time is running out before the regular-season finale on April 10, which marks the one-year anniversary of the right meniscus injury. The Warriors have 13 games remaining and Wiseman, the 2020 No. 2 overall pick, is yet to play this season.
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Physically, he looks good to go, but the production against NBA opponents is another thing. Kerr has said people should “temper expectations” when it comes to Wiseman’s role this season, as he will likely be played sparsely off the bench to spell Kevon Looney and Draymond Green.
Wiseman would immediately become the team’s top lob threat and only player listed above 6-foot-9. He also flashed other scoring skills – including a mid-range shot, dribbling from the top of the key and a sky hook – in Tuesday night’s game but will likely just be asked to rebound, run the floor in transition and set high screens for Golden State’s scorers. The Warriors would love to see Wiseman work an effective two-man game with Jordan Poole this season and in the years to come.
