Virus sidelines Wiseman, Green
They’ll likely sit for preseason opener against Denver
Warriors center James Wiseman and forward Draymond Green did not participate in the first practice of training camp, head coach Steve Kerr said Monday.
Though league rules prevent teams from revealing the identities of players who test positive, both Wiseman and Green missed practice after testing positive for the coronavirus, a league source confirmed with the Bay Area News Group.
While dancing around the reason for their absences, Kerr cracked to the media, “I think you guys all got it.” This awkward exchange is the latest example of the challenges facing the league as it tries to navigate completing a season during the pandemic. The team announced last Tuesday that two players had tested positive for COVID-19.
In order to return to the court, according to league protocols, a player must self-quarantine for 10 to 12 days after the initial positive test, register two negative tests and be cleared by both a team- and league-designated physician. Though it’s unclear when Wiseman and Green will be able to return, it seems unlikely they will participate in this week’s training camp or play in Saturday’s preseason opener against the Denver Nuggets at Chase Center. Golden State will play three preseason games before its season opener against the Nets in Brooklyn on Dec. 22.
This is detrimental for Wiseman, the No. 2 pick in the draft who has not played in an official basketball game since Nov. 12, 2019. The Warriors, who delayed the start of group workouts one day, have preached patience with Wiseman understanding a steep learning curve awaits the 19-year-old in the NBA.
“It’s unfortunate, but it’s just the way it goes,” Kerr said. “Our coaching staff has been showing him tape the last few days. He’s still getting some homework in. It’s not ideal, but nothing’s ideal for anyone in 2020.”
Meanwhile, the 30-yearold Green should have an easier time acclimating to the group, but with several new teammates his presence could have been helpful during a training camp geared at improving last season’s fifth- worst defense. According to Kerr, the “vast majority” of Monday’s practice was focused on implementing new defensive schemes and teaching players defensive techniques as the team aims to be a top-10 defense this season.
Though the Warriors held a few group workouts in late September and early October, Monday marked the first group practice for this newly-assembled roster and its core players in nine months.
“We had a good day’s work,” Kerr said. “Rusty as you might imagine, because the guys have been basically only doing the individual work the last week and for most of the summer. To have had everybody on the court and working in groups was a really good step and much needed. But we’ve got a ways to go.”