Will James Wiseman play for the Warriors this season?

The Golden State Warriors will be playing without their big man James Wiseman for the rest of the 2021-22 NBA season, after they ruled him out due to an injury.

The former number two overall pick will continue with rehabilitation on his right knee, for which he underwent an operation in April to repair his injured meniscus. Wiseman suffered the injury during the Warriors’ 125-109 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Wiseman's promising start

The surgery spelled the end of what was a successful start to his debut season. He began his rookie year with an average of 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He has been unable to play during his second year with the Warriors.

The 20-year-old had an additional arthroscopic procedure in December, eight months after the initial operation, to get rid of some loose particles in his knee.

The second operation further put off his comeback with the Warriors. He was thought to be making progress and played three G league games with the Santa Cruz Warriors earlier this month as part of preparations for his return.

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Recovering for the future

However, Wiseman's knee began swelling, leading to the team’s decision to sideline him for the rest of this season.

“It was ultimately very simple: we’re protecting James’ future,” according to Golden State coach Steve Kerr.

The Warriors will continue their quest for the NBA championship without the seven-footer, though they currently have the third-best record in the league at 48-26 despite missing his services. The team is behind only the Phoenix Suns (60-14) and the Memphis Grizzlies (51-23).