SAN FRANCISCO – Asked Thursday if he could update the status of center James Wiseman, Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s initial response was an expression of exasperation.
Not with Wiseman, who continues to rehabilitate after mid-April surgery to repair a torn right meniscus, followed by a minor follow-up procedure in December. All the 20-year-old center wants is to get healthy enough to resume his nascent NBA career.
It’s the prolonged recovery process, with encouraging signs being dashed by interruptions, bringing layers of mystery to Wiseman’s return, that has the coach at wit’s end.
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“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 before tipoff against the Pacers at Chase Center. “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.”
In short, Kerr and the Warriors still have no timeline for Wiseman’s return.
Kerr in mid-November indicated that Wiseman was a week or two away from being cleared for three-on-three activity. In early December, however, Kerr changed course, pointing out that Wiseman had yet to scrimmage and adding that, once he reached that point, he would need additional time beyond that before playing in a game.
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Wiseman in mid-December underwent an arthroscopic procedure to clear out “loose bodies” that caused swelling in the 7-footer’s knee.
When Wiseman underwent the initial surgery, it was hoped that after six months of recovery and rehab, that he would be ready for training camp in October.
The Warriors are staring at late January and mystery continues. They have not practiced since returning to the Bay Area on Sunday after a four-game road trip, during which Wiseman was part of the traveling party.
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Though the likeliest time for the next practice is Monday between games against the Utah Jazz (Sunday) and the Dallas Mavericks (Tuesday), it’s conceivable that Wiseman won’t be cleared for contact for at least another week.
“And I know this whole process has been frustrating for James, above all,” Kerr said, “but also for (media) because you’re looking for answers, and for me because I’ve told you three different times that I thought he was going to have contact the next week and each time it was pushed back. This has just not been an easy one to figure out.
“We’re still hopeful that he’s going to be cleared for contact soon, but there hasn’t been an opportunity for that to happen this week.”