Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr provided an update to James Wiseman's injury status before their game against the Orlando Magic Thursday night, telling reporters that he expects the rookie to miss at least another week, according to The Athletic's Anthony Slater.
James Wiseman's absence will last longer than expected. Steve Kerr: "Unfortunately he still has pain. As long as there's pain in the wrist, we have to keep him back." Said imaging was clean, but they're giving him another week.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 12, 2021
While an MRI on the sprained left wrist indicated no structural damage, Wiseman continues to experience pain in the area. With the Warriors not looking to jeopardize their prized prospect's long-term health, Kerr said the team will continue to sideline Wiseman until the discomfort fades completely.
The rookie big man originally injured the wrist during a game on January 30th against the Detroit Pistons. Catching a lob pass from teammate Draymond Green in the third quarter of that game, Wiseman was able to slam the ball home but fell to the ground on the follow-through. Using his hands to brace his fall, the rookie endured a sprain, which has continued to linger beyond the ten-day estimate that the team initially provided.
Though Kerr sounded optimistic about Wiseman's potential return next week, Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle indicated that the Warriors would only re-evaluate the center in 7-to-10 days, opening up the possibility that he could miss games beyond that.
Wiseman's injury came just as the second-overall pick had begun to find his place in Golden State's offensive system. After being moved to the bench unit following the Warriors' early-season struggles, Wiseman had not only corrected his shooting percentage but also scored a career-high 25 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 25th. In his absence, the Warriors have compiled a 2-3 record heading into Thursday's game against the Magic.
For a franchise who are looking for Wiseman to be an important piece of their future, Golden State is almost certainly counting down the days until his return.
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