What’s going on with James Wiseman’s rehab?

James Wiseman tore his meniscus in a game against the Houston Rockets in April. He underwent surgery in December, 8 months after his first procedure on his torn meniscus. It has been a little over 9 months now since his original surgery and everyone is getting a little frustrated. In this article I will be breaking down his injury, the typical recovery time, and when we could possibly see Wiseman back on the court.

What is a Torn Meniscus?

A Torn Meniscus is a pretty common injury. In the US, more than 200,000 people end up with this injury. A Meniscus Tear occurs with a forceful twisting of the knee that causes tissue in the knee to tear. A Meniscus is a piece of cartilage in your knee that serves as a cushion and stabilizes your joint. Although a twist of it can tear it easily. Many times they occur when there is a sudden change of direction.

As you can see in this image, James Wiseman lands on his knee in a very odd way that caused the Meniscus Tear. His knee suddenly twisted when he landed and he went down hard which would end up being the injury to keep him out for a while.

How long is the typical recovery time?

Surgery and a Torn Meniscus usually don’t go together. Many people can recover in as little as 4 weeks. James Wiseman though tore his Meniscus a worse than the usual case. His required surgery and then a follow-up surgery to stop the swelling. While Wiseman was expected to return early in 2022, that will be pushed back as he is now out indefinitely. This means there is no current time table for Wiseman. James just got cleared for 3 on 3 drills and eventually will get cleared for 5 on 5 but this shows no signs that he will be back even by the All Star Break.

When could we see Wiseman back on the court?

Since Wiseman just started contact drills, we can most likely expect him to be back by mid March at this rate. Now of course there is no telling just how long it may be but that is my best guess. The playoffs start April 16th and it is hard to imagine the Warriors throwing Wiseman into the mix anywhere near that time. If he has to sit out past mid March, it could simply mean we don’t see him this season at all.