Wiseman still has ‘wow factor' as Iguodala helps iron out flaws

Share

James Wiseman hasn't stepped foot on the court for the Warriors this season, but the 20-year-old center remains hard at work behind the scenes at Golden State University.

Wiseman, who had meniscus surgery last April and a clean-up surgery in December, spent much of his early rehab time with Klay Thompson. Lately, Wiseman has been spending his time with a different professor, Andre Iguodala. The Warriors veteran forward has missed the last several games due to a knee issue and spoke to the media Thursday to update both his health and what he has seen from Wiseman.

Iguodala has said multiple times this season to not forget about Wiseman and what he can bring to the Warriors when healthy. Iguodala has been working with Wiseman to tighten his game, but said the 7-foot big man still has the incredible talent that made him the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

“Well, I know he wants to be out there," Iguodala said of Wiseman's rehab. "He’s grinding. He’s on the court now. It’s good to see. The more I get to see him, obviously, the more I’m finding flaws. That’s the type of guy I am. Finding a flaw and trying to fix it. Even yesterday, he and I were working out together and I saw a few flaws and I’ll be sure to start keying in on that. You get to this level and there’s not as much emphasis on the small things because historically they assume you have it already instilled in your game coming from college, and you got two or three years of tutelage and you got the fundamentals.

"He’s only played three or four college games. Just a few things he’s got to clean up – small things, easy fixes. I saw him on the court today and he did something and he has that wow factor.”

RELATED: Steph sets tone for Warriors' unmatched winning culture

Head coach Steve Kerr recently said the Warriors weren't sure when Wiseman would turn the corner, and it's clear the prolonged recovery has left Kerr exasperated.

“Several times I’ve said, ‘Yeah, we were hoping he would have contact in the next week,’ and then he didn’t for one reason or another,” Kerr said Jan. 20. “Then he had the swelling in his knee, then he had the procedure to flush the swelling out. So, there’s just been this extended time where he’s been out that has been most frustrating for him.

“The beat goes on. We’re still very hopeful that this is all going to happen, that he’s going to be out there soon in contact circumstances in practice. But at this point, I’m also aware that I’m ‘The Boy who cried Wolf’ a little bit.”

The Warriors intend to be extra cautious with Wiseman's recovery, knowing that meniscus rehab can take often take longer than expected and there is no clear road map as there is with an ACL or an Achilles.

Golden State currently owns the second-best record in the NBA at 39-13. But as they turn their attention to the playoffs, the Warriors hope Wiseman can start making consistent progress in his rehab so that his "wow factor" can be on the floor come playoff time.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Contact Us