Golden State Warriors: Is James Wiseman really atop the team’s big board?
Recent reports note that James Wiseman is atop the Golden State Warriors’ big board, but are those contradicting reports accurate?
From a fit perspective, the Golden State Warriors should’ve always had James Wiseman at the top of their big board.
With limited size on the team and Wiseman’s upside to be a top-tier rim protector, Wiseman seems like the perfect candidate to help re-establish Golden State as a powerhouse in the league.
However, he may not be the player with the most upside in the draft as Georgia’s Anthony Edwards and Dayton’s Obi Toppin are buzzing as future stars as well.
That said, a recent report from Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher mentioned that league sources have Wiseman at the top of the team’s big board.
"“A league source said the Warriors have Wiseman at the top of their draft board; understandable considering forward Dragan Bender, a late-season addition via two 10-day contracts, is the only 7-footer on the roster and 6’9″ Kevon Looney is the only listed center,” Bucher wrote."
What’s odd is that his report contradicts reports just a few weeks old about the team’s draft rankings. Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote just 27 days ago that Wiseman and fellow projected top pick LaMelo Ball are not overly appealing to the Warriors.
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"“According to multiple league sources The Chronicle contacted in the past few days, the Warriors — contrary to what mock drafts might suggest — aren’t believed to be high on two of the three players being mentioned as possibilities at the No. 1 pick: former Memphis center James Wiseman and point guard LaMelo Ball, who last played for the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League.”"
We aren’t saying anyone is lying or missing the truth of their source, but the fact of the matter is that these two contradict. Why would a player the team isn’t high on be at the top of the big board?
Wiseman, who played three games at Memphis before leaving in preparation for the NBA Draft, did put up incredible numbers to start his collegiate career. Sadly, we weren’t able to see him notch 20 points and 10 rebounds with three blocks for more than a mere three games.
What’s even more impressive is that he did around those numbers on 77% from the field. Wiseman is a physical beast, but he does have limited upside as a go-to scorer which could hurt his draft stock.
His quintessential fit would make up for that, but still he, like most other prospects, has a few attributes that are concerning. Both reports make sense, but it’s just unsettling knowing that the contradicting information is out there.
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That said, who knows who the Warriors will really snag if they get the No. 1 pick, but we do know that they’ll have to get that pick through the lottery before we even start suggesting that they can automatically get any prospect they feel is the best fit.