Golden State Warriors: Tracking James Wiseman’s development

We are a quarter of the way through James Wiseman’s rookie season and though he hasn’t secured a starting role for the Golden State Warriors – his development is right on track.

The Warriors had high hopes for Wiseman when they selected him No. 2 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. The uber-athletic big man was set to be a cornerstone of the next generation of Dubs basketball. It’d had been a long time since the Warriors had a towering center with this much versatility and athleticism – and the thought of Wiseman catching lobs from Draymond Green and Stephen Curry had us salivating.

Yet, a month into his rookie season and Wiseman has seen his starting role diminish to a spot on the bench as Steve Kerr promoted Kevon Looney to starter a few games back. This really hasn’t changed Wiseman’s role much, as he was already playing limited minutes, but it certainly readjusted expectations.

It’s time to reflect on how James Wiseman has been developing for the Golden State Warriors a quarter through his rookie season.

Wiseman’s inexperience has held him back from being a more consistent contributor. This isn’t a concern as the 19-year-old barely played in college and missed training camp entirely earlier in the season. No one should be surprised that a young center is struggling to hit his stride in the NBA.

Through 19 games, Wiseman is averaging 12.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. His towering presence has helped him be impactful in bursts, enough to make him the NBA‘s top-ranked rookie.

Still, he has a lot to learn as a defender. Draymond Green has taken on a leadership role by constantly coaching Wiseman on this end of the floor, but it will be a while before Wiseman can fluidly play within a team system. It’s just a matter of time before he figures it out, though.

Wiseman hasn’t strayed from his comfort zone. His 3-point shot has looked better than anyone could have expected as he’s shooting above 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from deep. This is a good sign that Wiseman may be able to consistently space the floor for the Warriors.

He ranks first in rebounds and second in scoring among rookies. However, his advanced analytics don’t match up as well, posting an underwhelming Defensive Rating of 109.3 and an Offensive Rating of just 102.6. Again, much of this can be explained by inexperience.

He’s embracing his role as the scraper, pulling in rebounds at a high-rate and always protecting the rim when he’s in the proper position. Wiseman is looking like a home-run pick for the Dubs, they just have to continue working with him to ensure he learns the ins-and-outs that will make him a truly great player.