The impact of James Wiseman’s ‘probable’ return to the Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors have gone through a rough stretch of injury issues over the last two months, but there’s optimism that the reigning champions could have practically everyone on deck for Wednesday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Third-year center James Wiseman is currently listed as probable on the official injury report, with the former number two overall pick having missed 11 straight games with an ankle sprain.

A full complement of players could be the first step in the Golden State Warriors accruing some much needed continuity over the second-half of the season.

Wiseman’s return would leave Andre Iguodala as the only absent Warrior, with that meaning little given the 38-year-old veteran has appeared in just three games this season anyway.

The ankle injury came at the worst possible time for Wiseman who had just carved out a role, albeit limited one, in Steve Kerr’s rotation. The 21-year-old had his first career 30-point game in a blowout loss against the Brooklyn Nets, before contributing some solid minutes in three straight wins against Memphis, Charlotte and Utah.

Despite an impressive performance on return against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, JaMychal Green was absent from the rotation against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. That could leave minutes available for Wiseman, although Kevon Looney’s move to the bench might equally restrict his opportunities. It’s a tough balance for Kerr who needs to balance the workload of Looney and Draymond Green, with the desperate need to win games given Golden State’s disappointing 23-24 record.

In an ideal world, Wiseman would return and pick up where he left off — providing the Warriors with 8-10 minutes of solid rebounding and some rim protection. That’s exactly what he produced against the Grizzlies on Christmas Day, and given his likely return will be against the same opponent, you could foreseeably expect him to get some run.

Wiseman’s return could also give Golden State the chance to preserve the two-way games of Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome. Kerr has a core eight with the starters, Looney, Donte DiVincenzo and Jonathan Kuminga — could he trust in Wiseman and Moses Moody enough to give Lamb and/or Jerome a few nights where they’re inactive?

A lack of continuity has plagued Wiseman’s career to date, and as a result, every minute on the floor is immensely important and heavily scrutinized. That remains the case now, particularly given the looming February 9 trade deadline.