Warriors’ James Wiseman not a top five rookie in CBS Sports power rankings

The Golden State Warriors drafted James Wiseman with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and he’s certainly exceeded expectations so far this season.

CBS Sports released their rookie power rankings this past weekend and to the Golden State Warriors’ disappointment, James Wiseman did not come up in the top five.

Proceeded by names like Tyrese Maxey and LaMelo Ball, Wiseman falls short and comes up No. 8. While there is stiff competition in these rankings, Wiseman is quickly becoming one of the most important players for this Warriors team.

In his twelve games with the Warriors, Wiseman has made all twelve starts despite coming into the season as potentially the third-string center.

He is also shooting 48.3 percent from the field, and even 40 percent from outside the arc. He is even making a name for himself in the area of dunking as he showed no mercy when taking it the Denver Nuggets’ Bol Bol.

Though Wiseman is pulling his weight for this Warriors’ team, it should be noted that he has been aided by the return of Draymond Green and Steph Curry.

Last season, the Warriors were falling apart at the seams, but the return of these key players and the dominance of James Wiseman may just be what turns this Golden State team around. After all, to many people’s surprise, they are at least in playoff contention.

Wiseman has cemented himself as a player that should be one of the best big men in the league for the next decade. You can tell he has everything in his arsenal from his shooting, rebounding, and defense.

Now, he has to put it together, and he really does need to work on his defense in both staying straight up and timing blocks. NBA-level strength and conditioning will do Wiseman wonders as well.

As for the rankings by CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish, Tyrese Maxey came in at the top after a 39-point performance. Wiseman was No. 8 and other notable rookies like LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards respectively finished No. 3 and unranked.

"When Wiseman gets out in transition, it’s pretty terrifying. He’s dunking on pretty much anyone, anywhere at any point in the game, just ask Bol Bol. Now that the Warriors look far more competent than they did when the season started, thanks in large part to the return of Draymond Green, we get to see what Wiseman looks like with a slightly better team. So far, he’s still looked impressive on offense for only having played just a handful of games in the last year and a half, including college. Against Denver, he drilled mid-range jumpers and dunked … a lot, on his way to 18 points, five boards and a pair of blocks…..Nothing to panic about just yet, but definitely an area that needs improvement."

Wiseman has improvements he can make, but so far, he’s been terrific. That said, let’s hope his progress continues as he’s certain to be the face of the Warriors’ frontcourt for the foreseeable future.