James Wiseman at the top of Golden State Warriors NBA Draft board

According to recent reports, James Wiseman is back at the top of the Golden State Warriors 2020 NBA Draft board.

With such an underwhelming NBA Draft class approaching, it should have been expected that the Golden State Warriors would bounce back and forth between top prospects. Despite reports stating that the Dubs are not interested in James Wiseman, it appears the star big man is back at the top of their draft board.

Scouts seem to be split on Wiseman’s talent. The seven-foot rim protector was an electric prospect coming out of high school but has since been working in the shadows as his NCAA career collapsed after three games due to a scandal.

In his brief time with Memphis, Wiseman averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. This stint reassured everyone of the type of inside presence Wiseman could be. However, his flaws still stand out.

Firstly, Wiseman is a limited offensive player. He relies on his height and athleticism to score, rarely creating his own shot out of the post. Most restricting of all, he has little ability to spread the floor with any type of shooting outside of the paint.

These are obvious issues for the Warriors who thrive off of space and pace. Wiseman could benefit them defensively but would hold them back on offense. Furthermore, he is an underdeveloped prospect at 19 years of age.

Nonetheless, Wiseman fills in a void for the Dubs. They only have one player over seven-foot on the roster (Dragan Bender) and Kevon Looney is their sole center. This means Wiseman has the potential to be a huge upgrade for their frontcourt.

The Warriors have to decide if they want to take a risk on such an unproven player. Wiseman might be everything the Dubs need. Or, he could be the reason they look back at the 2020 NBA Draft in disappointment.