Injury updates:
Wiseman, Looney expected to return during four-game trip.
Warriors center James Wiseman is expected to return from a sprained left wrist during the team’s upcoming fourgame trip, Golden State announced Thursday.
The Warriors play Friday in Orlando, Saturday at Charlotte, Tuesday in New York and Wednesday in Indiana. In addition to Wiseman, center Kevon Looney is expected to return during the trip from a sprained left ankle. Looney will likely come back against the Knicks or the Pacers.
When those two big men return, the Warriors will be able to ease their reliance on smallball lineups. Without anyone taller than 6foot7, Golden State started the 6foot6 Draymond Green at center for seven games before he was a late scratch for Wednesday’s overtime win over the Heat because of a sore right ankle. The 6foot6 Juan ToscanoAnderson, who had previously started at power forward, started at center in Green’s absence.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he expects Green to play Friday against the Magic, when Golden State will try for a seasonbest third straight win. The returns of the 7foot1 Wiseman and 6foot9 Looney, however, won’t completely spell the end of the Warriors’ smallball style.
Over the past eight games, the Warriors have gone 53 while ranking second in the NBA in both pace and net rating. Kerr wants to continue finding meaningful minutes for ToscanoAnderson, who, despite being on a twoway contract that limits him to 50 games this season, is averaging 9.2 points on 54.8% shooting (44.4% from 3point range), 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27.9 minutes over his past nine games.
The Warriors also plan to keep playing Green some at center, given that he has excelled as a defensive anchor and facilitator from that spot. His 93 assists in February are second in the NBA behind Brooklyn’s James Harden (94).
Still, the returns of Wiseman and Looney should only help a Golden State team that ranks last in the NBA in offensiverebounding percentage. Perhaps no story line is more important for the Warriors this season than the development of Wiseman, who, just three months removed from going No. 2 in the NBA draft, looks like he could be the team’s longterm answer at center.
In 20 games, Wiseman has averaged 12.2 points on 50.3% shooting (40.9% from 3point range), 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21 minutes per game. Since suffering the wrist injury in a Jan. 30 win over the Pistons, Wiseman has progressed to noncontact drills and individual shooting.