James Wiseman remains sidelined for the Golden State Warriors as he recovers from his knee injury and eventual surgery. However, head coach Steve Kerr is not losing hope that the young big man will be able to return this 2021-22–probably in the playoffs.
This update comes after Wiseman worked out with the Warriors on Saturday, which is a significant step for him since he has been out for over 300 days now.
According to Kerr, there are still a lot of uncertainties surrounding Wiseman and his recovery from meniscus injury. He is still out indefinitely, and it didn't help he had to enter the league's health and safety protocols early in the season which hampered his rehab.
Article Continues Below“There's a chance that he could be playing come playoff time. We don't really know what to expect,” Kerr said of Wiseman, per Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle.
It remains to be seen if James Wiseman will be able to recover in time for the playoffs, but it is worth noting that Warriors GM Bob Myers didn't sound as optimistic as Steve Kerr when he talked about the second-year big on Friday.
Myers highlighted the challenges and questions the 20-year-old had to go through and answer before they can determine whether he is ready to play or note.
“I think the thing that it is, is more of whether it’s a load amount, maybe it is the minor swelling that says not yet. Similar to when you try to run on a sprained ankle and your body says, not yet,” Myers said.
“Basic stuff. I’m sure it’s a lot more complicated than that. When I ask the question, the answer I get is he’s progressing, it’s going well. I asked what you ask, what everyone asks, when? The answer I get is we’ll know in five days. If he keeps progressing, this will be the next step. The next step is one-on-one, two-on-two, scrimmaging. You can’t rush it. I wish we could have answered this a few weeks ago or a month ago, but it is what it is.”
The Warriors remain a deep team even with Wiseman sidelined. Not to mention that they recently got Klay Thompson back after two years of absence. Nonetheless, it will certainly be beneficial for the Dubs to have a reliable big man whom they can insert to go up against teams with elite centers.
Their small-ball lineup is a terror for teams, but it is not without weaknesses. They can be exploited in the frontcourt at times, which is why getting Wiseman ready for the playoffs could be a major factor in their attempt to stage another title run.