Warriors rookie Wiseman undergoes season-ending knee surgery

James Wiseman's rookie season in the NBA has come to a premature end after the Golden State Warriors center underwent surgery on his right knee on Thursday. Wiseman had a procedure in Los Angeles to repair a torn meniscus, the NBA team announced. The 20-year-old is expected to be healthy for the start of the 2021-22 season.

Wiseman was the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft but had trouble staying in the line-up in his first season with Golden State, starting 27 of his 39 games and averaging 21.4 minutes along with 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He ranks third among rookies in rebounds, fifth in scoring, fourth in field-goal percentage and fifth in blocks (0.92 per game).

Injury blights Wiseman's season

Wiseman missed much of February with a wrist injury before returning in a bench role for several weeks. Here-joined the starting line-up on 23 March and his play was inconsistent before a strong showing in what turned out to be his final full game of the season. He made nine of 11 field goals and scored 18 points against the Washington Wizards on 9 April, but left the following day's game against the Houston Rockets in the second quarter after landing awkwardly on a dunk attempt. 

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters earlier in the week that Wiseman was taking the injury news as well as he could. "He's just been through an awful lot this season," Kerr said. "And he has a really good way about him and he's at minimum putting up a good front, but I know he's really crushed, but he's hanging in there."