James Wiseman will not make his Golden State return Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center. He'll be busy playing with the franchise's G League affiliate in Santa Cruz against the Salt Lake City Stars.
Santa Cruz plays home games this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday at Kaiser Permanente Arena. A source has told NBC Sports Bay Area that Wiseman will play with Santa Cruz on Sunday but not Saturday against the Agua Caliente Clippers.
Wiseman was recalled by Golden State on Wednesday following his third G League game during his rehab from right meniscus surgery. The Warriors did not practice Thursday after their 110-88 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. Wiseman currently is with the NBA squad and the most likely path forward for him is continuing to practice with Golden State through Saturday before then playing for Santa Cruz on Sunday night.
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The Warriors then begin a five-game road trip that tips off Tuesday in Orlando, and Wiseman should be with them either at the start of the trip or soon thereafter.
"The main thing is he's healthy and he's moving well," Steve Kerr said to the media before Wednesday's game. "That's the biggest thing. That was our biggest concern going in, was just 'Can he build the momentum and sustain it and continue to work on his conditioning and his timing?'
"So far, so good. Happy to see him out there."
That brings us to this: What does Kerr want to see from Wiseman in the next few days?
Golden State Warriors
"Just got to keep working and keep building his conditioning," Kerr said. "He gets tired during his runs and if he can sustain the energy during his runs and the focus, that would probably be a result of better conditioning. It's all to be expected though, especially as a big guy not playing for a year.
"He's gonna keep playing and we'll see how it goes."
Wiseman in his three games with Santa Cruz has averaged 17 points and 9.7 rebounds while playing just under 21 minutes per game. He has had a tendency to start off slow and get better as the game goes on, especially after catching his breath during halftime. The 20-year-old looks healthy, which is a win right away. Wiseman originally underwent surgery last April and needed a clean-up procedure in December.
When he does make his NBA return this season, he'll be asked to provide size as a rim-runner, lob threat and shot-blocker for short spurts, resembling how JaVale McGee was used in the past.
The 7-footer who is listed at 240 pounds says he has gained 10 to 15 pounds of muscle, and it looks like even more when merely taking a peek at his upper body compared to his rookie year. Wiseman also has shown some of the same rookie mistakes he made last season, having trouble catching passes, committing bad fouls, too many turnovers and looking a bit lost at times.
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It should also be noted it is extremely hard to evaluate a player in the G League, especially a big man trying to get force-fed on the block and fit an offense he has no continuity with. Since making his college debut on Nov. 5, 2019, Wiseman has played only 45 games of basketball -- three in college, 39 in the NBA and three in the G League. He needs reps, and the Warriors are giving him them in practice and game settings where he can be more free in the G League.
Wiseman will be adding a fourth G League game this Sunday after spending time with Golden State. With the Warriors about to start up a five-game road trip, fans will have to continue waiting until they can see him back at Chase Center, though Wiseman should be wearing Warriors road colors in the very near future.