Wiseman is making progress in knee rehab
Warriors' top pick has responded well to injection
SAN FRANCISCO >> James Wiseman hasn't played in a Warriors uniform for more than a year after experiencing setbacks from an April 2021 knee injury.
But the wait for the Warriors' top pick to return to the court could soon be over.
Wiseman underwent an orthobiologic injection in his arm in April on a trip to London with general manager Bob Myers, a source confirmed. The procedure is supposed to promote healing through- out his body.
Wiseman has responded well to the injection and hasn't had setbacks in his recovery process since. If his rehabilitation remains on track, Wiseman could possibly return in Summer League, The Athletic reported.
Wiseman has missed the entire season after suffering the meniscus injury last April in a game in Houston.
The Warriors were initially hopeful he'd return early in the 2021-22 season, but that timeline was pushed back and Wiseman underwent another surgery in December, further delaying his return.
The 21-year-old center continued his rehab and played in three G League games in March with the Santa Cruz Warriors. But just after Golden State recalled him to the NBA roster following those games, the team shut him down for the season March 25, citing swelling in his knee.
Since then, he's progressed in his recovery, returning to some on-court activities. He's recently been seen shooting jumpers ahead of the Warriors' NBA Finals games.
Last month, Wiseman said he was “feeling great,” though he was still restricted in what he could do.
“I obviously want to be out there playing with my teammates but just keeping an even keel-head and just making sure that I reassure myself that I'm young, I'm 21 years old, so I got a long career ahead of me,” he said. “It's really just taking one day at a time, that's really it.”
The Warriors host the California Classic July 2-3 at Chase Center, featuring games against the Lakers and Kings, before Las Vegas Summer League, which runs July 7-17.
Wiseman will be eligible for an extension following next season, but he's played less than a half-season of games for the Warriors over his first two years and struggled to adjust to the speed of the NBA game and the Warriors' readand-react offense. He averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in those 39 games last season.
Meanwhile, this postseason run has shown the value of 26-year-old Kevon Looney, who is gobbling up rebounds and fitting in around the Warriors' stars. Looney is a pending unrestricted free agent and his market value has increased from the three-year, $14.5 million deal he signed in 2019, but that strong postseason run will motivate the Warriors to retain him.
Wiseman's impressive athleticism and skill level led Golden State to select him with its greatest draft asset in decades, but what the Warriors have in him remains a mystery. Considering the impact of his injury on his perceived value around the league, the Warriors would surely be selling low if they looked to move on from him.
At the same time, Wiseman will need playing time to improve and if Looney returns to a team seeking another run to the NBA Finals, that on-court time will be tough to come by for Wiseman.