Warriors Rumors: 'All Signs Point' to James Wiseman Being Ready for Preseason Games
The Golden State Warriors are reportedly set to welcome back one of their promising young players.
According to ESPN's Kendra Andrews, "all signs are pointing" to third-year center James Wiseman being ready to participate in training camp and play in preseason games. Wiseman sat out the entire 2021-22 season after dealing with setbacks in his recovery from knee surgery that had limited him to 39 games in his rookie year.
The last time Wiseman was healthy, he averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds before suffering a torn meniscus in April 2021. The 21-year-old made his long-awaited return to the court during the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League, starting four games and averaging 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 19.9 minutes per game.
"He played in summer league. He felt good," Andrews said of Wiseman. "He told me he put on about seven to 10 pounds of muscle. He looks huge, you guys. He looks good."
The No. 2 overall pick in 2020, Wiseman was expected to add another dimension to the Warriors as a center who could produce on both ends of the floor. He's shown flashes of brilliance, but he just hasn't been on the floor enough to prove himself as a reliable player.
Andrews noted that Golden State will utilize training camp to address any deficiencies in Wiseman's game in hopes of developing him into a member of the rotation for the 2022-23 season.
"The hope for the Warriors is, as they head into camp, they can start really figuring out what are the specific areas he needs to improve on," Andrews said. "They want him to be a good rebounder, a good rim protector [and finisher] around the rim. But they're gonna figure that out as he plays more five-on-five."
Golden State's first preseason game will be on Sept. 30 against the Washington Wizards.
