James Wiseman just can’t catch a break. The Golden State Warriors center will reportedly miss training camp as the torn MCL in his knee continues to heal. The news comes just a couple months after coach Steve Kerr said Wiseman was “on schedule” to start the season on time.
That’s quite a bummer for the Warriors’ No. 2 overall pick from 2020. Wiseman missed last season’s abbreviated training camp due to pandemic-related issues, and after an uneven rookie year, he’ll again miss a vital part of the NBA campaign.
Here’s some more insight from The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, which includes some optimism for Wiseman’s preseason.
Participation in camp could be viewed in many ways. Wiseman will be out on the court in controlled drills and individual skill work. He will be in the weight and film room. It won’t be an empty month. He’s increasing his activity by the week.
But it’s still another vital month of limited activity early in his basketball career. In the NBA, the first seven to 10 practices of a season are viewed as the most important. It’s when the team is installing concepts, scrimmaging the hardest and learning each other on the court. Once the season starts, off-days are most often spent on rest, recovery and mental work. Wiseman will now have been a limited or non-participant in his first two career training camps.
Anthony Slater/The Athletic
Yeah, that’s not ideal, especially for a prized pick such as Wiseman.
Slater also reports that Wiseman is expected to be cleared for unrestrained basketball on Oct. 15. The season starts on Oct. 19. So it’s reasonable to expect Wiseman will miss a good-sized handful of games. That also leaves Golden State a little thin at the center position. We’ll see what GM Bob Myers elects to do about that, or perhaps he’ll just wait it out until Wiseman can return and quickly get up to speed.
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