Steve Kerr: James Wiseman Has ‘a Lot of Confidence in His Knee’ After Summer Playing Pickup Games
James Wiseman is closing in on returning to the NBA scene after missing the 2021-22 campaign due to knee surgery. Back in April of 2021, Wiseman stormed into the paint for a dunk attempt in a game versus the Houston Rockets. Wiseman ultimately underwent surgery a few days later and had a lengthy rehab.
On the latest update for the Memphis product, things are looking solid. In fact, he’s spent the past couple of weeks playing pickup games, according to Coach Steve Kerr.
“He’s healthy,” Kerr said. He’s played in a ton of pickup games in our building – I think he’s got a lot of confidence in that knee now. That’s the first step. The next step is finding his role within this team.”
The 21-year-old has still not scratched the surface of his potential. There’s a reason why he was selected with the second pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. When Wiseman played at Memphis, he averaged 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game on an impressive 76.9 percent shooting from the field. This translated well in his rookie season when he averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds on 51.9 percent shooting.
With Wiseman rejoining a team that just won the championship in June, carving out a role with the Warriors will be an exciting development. Wiseman is a part of the developmental core that the Warriors have chosen to pair with their “foundational six.” The Memphis products’ two-way skillset and ability to stretch the court opens another dimension for the Warriors on both ends of the court.
Training camp and the regular-season are around the corner, and with these significant developments coming out about Wiseman, it’s time to get excited about what the third-year big man has in store for this upcoming season.
