Warriors rule former No. 2 pick James Wiseman out for season
The Golden State Warriors' wait for the return of James Wiseman just got a lot longer.
The former No. 2 overall pick has been ruled out for the rest of a season that has been spent recovering from a meniscus repair in his right knee, the Warriors announced Friday.
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) March 25, 2022
The Warriors had hoped Wiseman would be a late reinforcement in a season full of injuries, but the team will have to move forward with Kevon Looney as its only true center.
From the Warriors' statement:
"We've maintained throughout his entire rehabilitation process that we're going to be patient and look out for James' best interests in what we anticipate to be a long and successful career," said Bob Myers. "As a 20-year-old, his entire career is ahead of him. For us, as an organization, our focus is on James' long-term health and we're confident — and our doctors are confident — that this long-term approach will help James become the player we believe he will evolve into when he returns to the court."
In his rookie season last year, which ended with the meniscus injury, Wiseman averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 51.9% from the field.
Wiseman spent significant stretches of this season rehabbing that knee and it appeared to be just a matter of time before he returned, similar to Klay Thompson. Unfortunately, he needed another knee surgery in December, but was still cleared to play in 5-on-5 scrimmages in February and cleared for G League games earlier this month.
Another setback came earlier this week when the Warriors had to shut him down from G League action due to more swelling in his knee, and now the team is taking no more chances.
