NBA Draft: James Wiseman’s limitations could deter Golden State Warriors

James Wiseman is an obvious NBA Draft option for the Golden State Warriors. But, his limitations could hold him back from being their pick.

On paper, James Wiseman is the most logical option for the Golden State Warriors in the 2020 NBA Draft. The team has no players above 7-foot on the roster and the center position is the biggest hole in their depth chart. Wiseman is an obvious fit to fill this void.

In his brief stint with Memphis, Wiseman posted 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. His towering presence in the paint was alarming as his bulky frame made him a force to be reckoned with.

Wiseman is a tough-to-move big man who could clog up the lane defensively for Golden State and dominate the glass. He would be the best rim-runner that Stephen Curry has ever played with – being an easy target for lobs and passes in transition.

However, Wiseman comes with his limitations. Aside from his athleticism and size, his offensive game is very restricted. He isn’t a sound scorer in the post and has not shown any ability to handle the ball or create plays for others.

Another factor working against Wiseman is the small sample size he gave us in college. He only appeared in three games before a scandal ended his NCAA career. With such little tape to analyze, it’s hard to tell how good Wiseman truly is.

Defense is his strongest asset but it’s hard to tell how impactful he can be at the NBA level. He has never had to defend high-level players on the perimeter and could be too slow-footed to keep up on this end of the floor. This is a problem for anyone on the Warriors roster as the team puts heavy emphasis on versatility.

The Dubs appear to already be moving away from the idea of selecting Wiseman as Wes Goldberg of The Mercury News suggests the team is much higher on the guards in this class than the bigs. Much of this could be attributed to Wiseman’s small sample size and limited offensive game.