Warriors Nation Translation Team
James Wiseman is once again unable to participate in a full training camp. The Warriors' second-year center has been recovering from meniscus surgery for more than five months, but has not yet been able to have full open contact with the protected area in practice, and it seems that the earliest he will have to wait until the sixth month after the surgery, which is 10 January 15th (all times in the article are local time in the United States).
The Warriors will open their new season on October 19th against the Lakers in Los Angeles. This is just four days away from the target recovery date. The clock is too tight to believe that Wiseman even has a chance to be ready for the opener. He will miss some games to start the season, as will Klay Thompson on the sidelines.
The Warriors also provided an update on Thompson on Monday. As expected, he will also only participate in limited individual workouts during training camp as the team attempts to get his body back into game shape. He tore his Achilles tendon 10 months ago and combined with a previous ACL tear, he hasn't played an NBA game in 830 days. What does the message
mean? Don't count too much on Thompson's early comeback. Referring to Achilles' recovery timeline, the Warriors have long believed he would return at some point in the December-January range.
Jordan Poole will likely be the backup option in Thompson's absence and fill in for Thompson during training camp. Moses Moody had a rotation opportunity early in his career. Damion Lee has also been a capable player. There are plenty of young players and veterans to choose from while Thompson is out for the next few months.
Wiseman's situation is trickier. A season ago, he didn't appear ready to play in the NBA, in part due to a lack of preparation time. Three college games followed by a draft during COVID and missing summer league, training camp and preseason because of the pandemic.
His first impression of NBA basketball came on opening night in Brooklyn, when the coaching staff chose to make him part of the lineup. There were times when he did seem to gain a little momentum as a rookie. Then he suffered a sprained wrist. The second time — when Steve Kerr committed to running more pick-and-rolls with Wiseman on the court — he tore his meniscus on a dunk attempt.
News regarding his recovery during the offseason has been optimistic. Bob Myers said in his injury press conference: "The idea now is that he should be able to participate in (training camp), which is important." Steve Kerr also expressed in July had similar views.
"Training Camp" can be interpreted in many ways. Wiseman will be on the court doing limited recovery and individual skill work. He will be in the weight training area more. This will not be a wasted month. He will be on the court every day. Increasing exercise volume every week.
But this time of limited exercise is still another important month in his early basketball career. In the NBA, the first 7 to 10 practices of a season are considered the most important. This is a team-building concept. A time for maximum intensity and learning from each other on the court. Once the season begins, off days are typically used for rest, recovery and mental work. Wiseman has been a part-time participant versus an absentee in his first two training camps.
Then the focus may shift to the Warriors' thin center position. They have Kevin Looney, a stable starter, and no other traditional big man behind him, but Wiseman is out. They did add Nemanja Bjelica, a tall free agent, but the most immediate result is that they plan to deploy a lot of small ball throughout the season, which was often at their best with Draymond Green. Center, Juan Toscano-Anderson is available.
So Wiseman's expected absence early in the season doesn't change the plans with one open spot on their 15-man roster and an open two-way contract. The 15th player spot detailed here is expected to be filled by a guard or tight end, with Gary Payton II being the slight favorite.That's where Bob Myers and the front office see the biggest need.
The Warriors are expected to bring a big guy to training camp, and a young center may sign a two-way contract , but the core of their center rotation this season is already known-Looney, Bjelica and Zeng can be matched in the starting lineup. Green, while keeping a rotation spot waiting for Wiseman to return in the first month or two.
This is where missing this training camp will hurt them the most. This isn't a few games he'll miss to start the season, but a valuable missed opportunity in a game where Wiseman should be accelerating his improvement. He has physical advantages, and if he uses his body correctly and learns to streamline his ball handling, he can add the explosiveness the Warriors lack in the paint. If Wiseman can take this small step, the Warriors will undoubtedly be back in contention.
But in theory, training camp and preseason games will be conducted with Kerr and Dejan Milojevic (the new assistant coach assigned to Wiseman) and the rest of the staff in a lower-risk environment before official games. An ideal time to experiment, teach through mistakes, and hone. However, that won't happen anymore. Wiseman won't show up until the new season train has started.
Original text from The Athletic, written by Anthony Slater
