When will James Wiseman play basketball again? It’s a question that has hovered over the San Francisco Bay Area since the start of the season. And finally, we have a return date. Unofficial date of course, but a date nonetheless. Good news, it will be soon.
It’s been more than ten months since we saw the young pivot of the Warriors on a basketball court. Since April 10, 2021 precisely and a game between Golden State and Houston, when Wiseman tore his meniscus four weeks from the end of the regular season. The rehabilitation of the guy was obviously followed closely in the Bay on the sidelines of that of Klay Thompson, whose comeback was logically much more expected. A rehabilitation that did not necessarily go as smoothly as possible, Wiseman having for example to go back to the pool table in December for an arthroscopy to clean his knee and reduce his swelling. But this time around, he really seems on his way back. According to the latest rumors reported by Dieter Kurtenback from the Bay Area News Group, the second choice of the 2020 Draft has a good chance of returning to the courts on March 1 for the Warriors’ move to Wolves, in what will be the first game of a four-game road trip to the West. To see if that confirms but in any case, a return at the beginning of March would be in the continuity of the last news that we could have from San Francisco. About a week ago, the youngster resumed the five-on-five, which is usually the last big step in the rehabilitation process. And if he should first go through the G League box to find a match condition, Wiseman therefore seems to finally see the end of the tunnel.
Once he has returned to the Warriors group, it will obviously be interesting to see what role coach Steve Kerr will give him and how he will integrate him into the collective. Today, Golden State rotates with prized Kevon Looney at starting center, important through his durability and true soldier on the inside. Nemanja Bjelica brings him a different profile through his ability to spread the field as well as his game vision, while Draymond Green – currently in the infirmary – can obviously take position 5 in small-ball lineups. A role that Kerr has also given to rookie Jonathan Kuminga when the opportunity arose in the absence of Draymond. All that to say that there are different profiles within the Californian team but that it still lacks size because none of the players mentioned here is a 7-footer. This is what James Wiseman can bring from the height of his 2m13 and through his beautiful athletic qualities. Sure he’s young, sure he was a little too soft his freshman NBA year, but he has abilities that can’t be learned. And if we are to believe Steve Kerr’s recent remarks to The Athletichis number of minutes could mostly depend on the different match-ups.
“I don’t think the roles off the bench are set in stone. You can take things in many different ways. »
If he comes back well at the end of the season and for the Playoffs, James Wiseman can bring an extra dimension to the Warriors. An aerial and athletic dimension that is currently lacking on both sides of the field on position 5. It is up to him to do what it takes to make himself important, especially against teams with real anchor points inside.
Source texte : Dieter Kurtenbach (Bay Area News Group)
