The Golden State Warriors have seen James Wiseman play his first 20 games, and he may be showing glimpses of a few players that came before him.
Is James Wiseman more like the left-handed Lamar Odom or the left-handed Chris Bosh though? Or, is Wiseman writing his own story and may have his career not reflex either of the two former star big men?
When the Warriors took James Wiseman second overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, many were shocked they didn’t trade the pick for a player like Bradley Beal. Many also thought that LaMelo Ball could eventually be the better player.
For Golden State, Wiseman was absolutely the right pick, and he’s shown glimpses of his massive upside this season.
While his defensive rotations could use some work, Wiseman has solidified his spot as a scoring option for this offense, and that may be what makes him more like Bosh and less like Odom. Bosh was an elite option while Odom was oftentimes the second option for the Lakers’ teams in which he spent the bulk of his career with.
Odom had a 14-year career, and he averaged over 10 points per game for 12 of them. The other thing to note is that Odom averaged over 50 percent shooting just twice while nailing over a three per game in three of his 14 seasons.
That’s solid, yes, but it’s not the Bosh-like numbers that Wiseman will undoubtedly have his sights on.
Bosh averaged over 20 points per game five times yet wasn’t a major three-point threat, only working more towards a spot-up shooter in his later years on the LeBron James-led Heat. Bosh shot 50 percent from the field in four seasons.
Now, let’s look at Wiseman’s numbers through 20 games.
We should also remember that this is just Wiseman isn’t getting the touches that he will later in his career. He’s taking under ten attempts per game and has turned those in over 12 points per game.
Shooting 50 percent from the field and not a consistent three-point shooter yet, Wiseman is following Bosh’s first year in the league more closely than Odom’s. What sets Wiseman apart from both forwards is that he should be a more competent rim protector.
He may never be the shooter that Odom was or the scorer that Bosh proved to be, but he definitely will be a better defender in time.
While it’s nice to look at all the numbers and compare, through his first 20 games, it seems Wiseman is writing his own story and will hopefully prove to be better than both Odom and Bosh.
He still has notable issues and could use better shot selection along with understanding how to defend and not foul, but Steve Kerr will undoubtedly be able to get the best out of him as Wiseman aims to be one of the best defenders in the NBA within the next few years.
The offense game that he possess mixed with his athleticism, which he’s shown multiple times this season, will be a massive plus as well. If he can put it all together, his true peak could be a player like David Robinson, but for now, that seems like a stretch.