Warriors rookie James Wiseman officially out for rest of season

Golden State Warriors rookie center James Wiseman is done for the season after tearing his meniscus.

The Golden State Warriors turned an uncharacteristically down season last year into the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, which they used on Memphis big man James Wiseman. Like many other rookies before him, Wiseman struggled in his first NBA season. After 39 games, his campaign is officially over.

On Thursday, the Warriors announced that Wiseman will miss the remainder of the 2020-21 season after undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Warriors: Rookie James Wiseman’s season is over after undergoing knee surgery

The meniscus tear took place during Golden State’s game against the Houston Rockets this past Saturday. In the second quarter, Wiseman dunked over Rockets rookie forward Kenyon Martin Jr. and landed awkwardly on the court. He left the game and it was revealed the following day that he had torn his meniscus.

Unfortunately, this was not the only injury Wiseman suffered in his rookie season. During a Jan. 30 game against the Detroit Pistons, Wiseman sprained his left wrist and missed Golden State’s next 11 games.

In 39 appearances with the Warriors (27 starts), Wiseman averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds a night while shooting 51.9 percent from the field.

As of this writing, the Warriors are just one game behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Sure, the Warriors have won the two games following Wiseman’s injury, but can they continue to win in the final month of the season? That will remain to be seen, especially when they face teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz.

Wiseman’s season may be over, but he will look to come back better than ever for his sophomore campaign.