With Wiseman's Return Imminent, How Will He Fit?
James Wiseman has a lot of expectations surrounding him. The #2 overall pick is somewhat a subject of divide amongst Warriors fans, with some believing that he won’t help now and that his value as a trade pick is only going to decrease over the years, while others believe he’s the future of the franchise and the cornerstone of what they’re building in Golden State. There’s plenty of speculation about his future, especially when trade rumors begin to swell towards the trade deadline.
With Wiseman expected to return within the next 2-3 weeks according to NBC Sports insider Monte Poole, this will likely become a greater conversation of how Wiseman fits into the lineup as it stands right now. Plenty of people have floated the idea that he could be a great beneficiary of the pick and roll attack, a lob threat the Warriors don’t currently have. He’s also shown flashes of being a great interior defender with his athleticism and length in the middle.
The Warriors have been building a plan for Wiseman, having him work out with new hire and European legend Dejan Milojevic, whose coaching tenure overseas produced big men like Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets and Ivica Zubac of the Clippers. Wiseman scored above the league average points per possession last season as the pick and roll big man, scoring 1.12 PPP and shooting about 52%. For a rookie, those are pretty good numbers, and with the additional spacing of the new-look team this year, he could be poised to put up some gaudy numbers on the inside in his sophomore season.
Sure, the Warriors could look to trade him, but that would be an unproductive solution to a problem they currently face: Lack of rim-running capabilities. Kevon Looney is a solid player, but he’s undersized for his position at 6’9. Wiseman projects as a better rebounder and perimeter defender, and getting him meaningful minutes means he’ll be a contributor sooner rather than later. There is no doubt that he can play NBA-level basketball based on what we saw last year, it’s just a matter of building his confidence and getting him the looks necessary for him to succeed. Playing alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green would be more productive to that than playing alongside a G-League point guard. He has mentorship available through the current vets as well as Milojevic, who’s already gotten to work teaching him a few new tricks.
The expectations shouldn’t be sky-high this season, but fans would be foolish to think that he’s nothing more than a trade piece. Wiseman does indeed have a future in this franchise, and it’s going to be a big role someday. All we need to remember is that he was 19 as a rookie, he’s 20 this season, and he’s fresh off a meniscus injury. Just have some patience with the kid.
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