Should we even bother to get excited about a milestone in James Wiseman’s rehab process, considering all the setbacks he’s had thus far?
The easy answer is: yes. Because this time, results appear more promising than ever.
The Warriors’ second-year center participated in a 3-on-3 scrimmage in Utah on Tuesday; yes, that’s right, Wiseman played actual basketball on his surgically repaired knee. And that’s not even the best news, which I’ll get to in a minute.
First, here’s footage of Wiseman, so you know I’m not lying. Hey, it’s been a long 10 months waiting for this to happen, I wouldn’t blame you for doubting me.
The key, however, is that Wisman’s knee responded well after the 3-on-3 session. The point of the exercise is to test to knee to see if it swells up or reacts normally after such a workout.
The scrimmage, which was limited to half-court 3-on-3 work with bench players and assistant coaches after practice at Vivint Arena, lasted only about 15 minutes. Wiseman got through it with no issues, an important milestone in his recovery from knee surgery.
Connor Letourneau/San Francisco Chronicle
I’m still in “wait-and-see” mode with Wiseman, but if he can return in time for the playoffs, I predict he’ll make a major impact for the Warriors. I don’t think he’ll need a lot of minutes to do so, either.
His height is sorely needed on Golden State’s roster, and I think he’ll make a JaVale McGee-like difference for coach Steve Kerr, providing a burst of tall athleticism and stretching the floor vertically, just as McGee did with his height during the Warriors’ back-to-back NBA titles last decade.
Next up for Wiseman is 4-on-4, and then 5-on-5. One step at a time. We’ll reserve our full excitement for when the No.2 overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft triumphantly returns to the court for an NBA game.
Bay Area Sports Hub 