Can James Wiseman be an elite second option for the Golden State Warriors?

James Wiseman was the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft for the Golden State Warriors and is putting on a show in his rookie season.

The Golden State Warriors have now played a few games in the 2020-2021 NBA season, and are not looking that great so far. One player who has looked great is newly acclimated James Wiseman.

The Warriors were without their two superstars last season, which ultimately was not good for their team. Golden State finished with the worst record in the league, winning only 15 games and losing a bunch more.

With no Stephen Curry due to a broken wrist, this team felt unguided and was not very much fun to watch. Add on the ACL injury to Klay Thompson from the 2019 Finals, and you have a team with Draymond Green as the lone star.

Due to their inability to win last year, the Warriors received the highest odds at the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. While the odds were not in their favor, Golden State still landed the second overall pick.

With that pick, the Warriors drafted what is believed to be the best player in the draft, not only that but the player with the most potential as well. Wiseman drew comparisons to Chris Bosh, which is high praise for a 19-year-old.

The big man from Memphis was a highly scouted player going into the draft due to his skill and size. At 7-foot-1 with a wingspan larger than that, James Wiseman had the measurables to thrive as well.

Even though he played three total games in college due to his option to opt-out, 29 NBA teams were chomping at the bit to get their hands on the potential star.

Adding a franchise player to a team that has several already can be dangerous. However, with the way things are looking right now, Wiseman may be ahead of schedule.

Is Wiseman a Second Option for Golden State?

The Warriors are not playing too well at the moment and have two key losses to top ten teams in the league. However, those games were on national television, where the whole world could see exactly what Wiseman can do.

What Wiseman Has Shown To Be Considered A Competent Second Option

James Wiseman has played great so far for Golden State and doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. There are a few qualities he has shown on the court, that can make him the potential second-best scorer on this team.

James Wiseman has tremendous athleticism and has shown it time after time. His ability to finish at and above the rim is remarkable and will be useful with more reps.

The ‘Steph and Wiseman’ pick and roll has looked great so far, as we have seen the rookie big man throw down on the end of some of the plays. If they can perfect that, along with some work on Wiseman’s hands, it can be a lethal duo.

James Wiseman’s shooting touch has looked amazing thus far. Coming into the draft, his jump shot did not get much high praise from anyone other than Penny Hardaway. However, he has definitely been putting in the work and is barely missing from outside.

In fact, Wiseman currently has the best three-point shooting percentage on the team.

The answer to the initial question is yes, and it will most likely happen this year. With the way this offense is looking, Wiggins and Oubre are out of the question. Both are shooting below 25 percent from the field and cannot hit shots when needed.

Bringing Draymond Green back won’t hurt Wiseman, as he is not really an offensive-minded player. If anything, it will help in terms of Wiseman getting to his spots and getting the ball moving.

This young man is special, and he will be for years to come. However, Warriors fans will get to see more of him sooner than expected. It’s time for coach Kerr to unleash Wiseman and let him work.