Rehabbing Wiseman stays involved

Warriors center James Wiseman will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, but that hardly means he’s away from the team.

Since returning from surgery in Los Angeles last month, he has been a regular at Golden State’s practice facility. While at the team photo Friday, Wiseman told head coach Steve Kerr, “The injury is healing well, and I’m feeling good.”

This is encouraging, but the Warriors recognize that the mental toll of lengthy injury rehabs is often as trying as the physical aspect. That’s why they’ve encouraged him to be around the team as much as possible throughout his recovery from a torn right meniscus he suffered in an April 10 win over the Rockets.

Even if Wiseman can’t participate in basketball activities, he can joke with teammates, sit in on film study, and watch practices and home games from a courtside seat. This should help him feel engaged as he faces a rigorous rehab that will likely last all offseason.

“His plan is to be here in San Francisco with our training staff,” Kerr said. “That’s crucial. Obviously, it’ll be a little quiet around here (this offseason). A lot of the guys who play heavy minutes won’t be coming in here much during the summer, but James is a really willing athlete, a willing patient.

“He wants to be here. He wants to get better. We’ll give him every opportunity to improve on the floor once he’s ready to get out there, but also obviously in the training room, in the weight room.”

Players coming off surgery to repair a torn meniscus generally avoid putting weight on the injured leg for six weeks, but a 7footer like Wiseman might be asked to do so longer. The usual recovery process calls for players to begin running four months after surgery. By the sixmonth mark, they’re often fully cleared.

Wiseman, still in a leg brace, isn’t expected to return to oncourt work until at least September. The Warriors hope he’ll be available for the 202122 opener, but he could easily miss the first month or two of next season. Odds are that Wiseman will be on a minutes restriction when he does return.

This is a devastating blow for someone who was starting to make significant progress when he was injured. Wiseman will miss summer league and important offseason workouts, which could set back his development in a major way.

To keep Wiseman’s spirits up, teammates and coaches have reminded him again and again to focus on the big picture. He’s only 20. Even if Wiseman has a tough time becoming a bona fide starter next season, he’ll still have an opportunity to achieve all his goals.

“We’ve seen James since we’ve been back,” Kerr said. “He’s pretty much here every game. … He’s in a brace, but he’s in great spirits.”