[ad_1]
Through 15 games of the NBA season, James Wiseman, like the Warriors, has had its ups and downs.
The 7-foot rookie center has developed an impressive array of skills, all while learning tough lessons as he moves into the NBA after just three college games.
Wiseman had the best game of his career so far on Wednesday when he scored 20 points in the Warriors’ win over the San Antonio Spurs. He was one of the NBA’s most impressive rookies early on, and despite a few bumps in the road, he’s “ahead of the schedule” in the eyes of ESPN draft expert Mike Schmitz.
“It was ahead of what I expected,” Schmitz told Zach Lowe on the “The Lowe Post” podcast. “I just thought that such a long layoff, such a short college career and someone who in the past struggled to read the game quickly – which he still needs to improve drastically – but just the fact that ‘he’s been able to play 20 minutes per game with this caliber of team, as I underestimated how deadly his physical tools are. He’s already in a class of his own. How much of an impact that has an impact as a lob-catcher, as a rim protector, as a rim runner when he’s not in position and when he’s playing, as we’ve seen he’s been way better than I have been. had planned.
“With James the thought was always, and the Memphis coaches would tell you this, they would always say, ‘If he’s going to Golden State, he’s going to be awesome.’ If he goes somewhere else where the culture isn’t great and he doesn’t have good veterans around him, then he’s really going to have a hard time. … if he was in a different situation we would probably see a lot more holds in the mid-post, hold, fallaway jumper, and the lack of bounce and lack of motor at times, I think it would be more apparent only in Golden State. “
In 21.2 minutes per game, Wiseman is averaging 11.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game so far this season. While Wiseman’s athleticism has won over from the start, it’s clear the 19-year-old still has a lot to do as an NBA center. Still, the Warriors were heartened by his confidence and ability to bounce back from tough outings, and it’s clear Steph Curry, Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr see a bright future for the young big.
If Wiseman continues to grow as expected in Warrior culture, the only question will be what kind of big he ultimately becomes.
“He’s got all these encouraging little things,” Schmitz said. “Like the shot. Is he going to be like a hard diver and a pop guy? Is he going – so we see the ball handling. Is he going to be a guy who can actually push in transition or is it just a mock a DHO here and there then downhill. Then on the pass he finally had a nice read against Spurs on a back door and I think he finished with four Assists. Is that going to change? In my opinion, you watch the best bigs in the NBA. You have your guys running and jumping, your Capela, Jarrett Allen, Mitchell Robinson, that kind of guy. But the best guys players can create theirs and facilitate, be it Jokic, AD, Giannis, Karl Towns, Embiid. So, will he become just a super-elite DeAndre Jordan? For them, will he be with a little more talent, or will he be part of those type of guy? “
RELATED: Kerr Sends Brutal Message to Warriors After Loss to Knicks
Wiseman showed a plethora of skills from the start, and playing alongside Curry and Green should take some of the initial pressure off him. He has only played 18 games since graduating from high school, so he still has a long way to go to become a finished product. He’s shooting 50.7% from court and 37.5% from 3-point distance at the start. He has shown his ability to handle the ball in transition and has the ability to facilitate the offensive side.
Measuring your NBA ceiling after 15 games is impossible and, frankly, a fool’s run. But the Warriors were clearly the perfect place for Wiseman to land and he should be able to become the best version of himself with Curry, Green, and Kerr helping him every step of the way.
Wiseman has studied all kinds of great NBA players, from Anthony Davis to Myles Turner in hopes of being able to emulate the best parts of their games. He has all the skills to be one of the best great men in the NBA. Right now, I would say Wiseman becoming a super-elite version of Jordan should be his floor. He is more skillful than Jordan and has the ability to influence the game in more ways than with his athleticism.
Will he become a superstar like Davis or Jokic? He has the capacity, that’s for sure. It’s easy to see the nuances of Giannis Antetokounmpo in his game and how he could go from an athletic, long-running perspective to being a star all over the world. But it depends on Wiseman and the warriors.
If he gets down to business and there’s no reason to believe he’s not focused on realizing his potential, the Warriors will have one of the next elite centers in the NBA.
It’s clear that Wiseman has all the talent to be big, and Green and Curry will need him to transform into one of the greats early in his career in order to give them a real chance to rekindle the dynasty.
Download and subscribe to the Dubs Talk podcast
[ad_2]
Source link