Golden State Warriors: How James Wiseman can still win ROTY

The red carpet was laid out for James Wiseman to walk his way into a Rookie of the Year Award. He fell into a perfect environment with the Golden State Warriors that would allow him to play to his greatest strengths as a freakish seven-foot athlete.

Of course, his transition to the NBA wasn’t going to be as easy as running and dunking the ball. Wiseman only played three games in Memphis before controversy and a global pandemic put a halt to his amateur career. After no Summer League or training camp, Wiseman found himself in the starting lineup for his first NBA game.

Playing with less experience than most top-three NBA Draft picks, Wiseman actually held his own. This isn’t to say he didn’t make plenty of rookie mistakes (he did, a lot) but his averages of 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks were respectable.

While his lapses on both ends of the floor pulled him out of the starting unit – he ultimately looked better on the bench. Wiseman increased his scoring and rebounding output in fewer minutes as a sixth man. This more focused role minimized his responsibilities and widened his margin for error.

Unfortunately, a sprained wrist has held Wiseman out of the last five games – and likely will keep him on the reserves for at least two more. Don’t worry though, he still has a chance to claim the ROTY.

James Wiseman has been sidelined lately but there’s still hope for the Golden State Warriors’ center to win Rookie of the Year.

Wiseman isn’t going to be rushed back just yet, but so long as he remains healthy for the rest of the season, this missed time will be a small blip on his overall season. And, with the team entering the easier half of the season, he’ll have an opportunity to not only raise his individual statistics – but rack up some wins as well.

This could be the determining factor in who wins the ROTY Award. While team record isn’t usually a major point of emphasis for the voters, after all, most top-tier rookies are drafted to lottery teams for a reason – it could become the breaking point if this year’s race remains close.

Much of this, however, relies on LaMelo Ball… who is on an astronomical pace right now. Though I was too afraid to publicly make such a statement, I had a sneaky suspicion that Ball could become the first rookie in NBA history to average a triple-double (or at least come close). Nevertheless, even I am shocked to see Melo actually flirting with a triple-double through 26 games (20 of which he spent on the bench!).

Now, for clarity, Ball is pretty far off from averaging a triple-double. Again, this is mostly due to playing his first 20 games on the bench – he’s posting 21.7 points, 6.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds since becoming a starter. He’s already become the youngest player in league history to record a triple-double and has nearly done it three separate times this season. Had he been given the chance for more training during the offseason (like a normal rookie) he really could have done it.

Anyways, the point is, Ball is going to be tough to beat for Wiseman. He’s leading all rookies in points, rebounds, assists and steals. If he continues being red hot from the 3-point line (22-for-44 lately), Ball will run away with the award.

However, if Wiseman returns and continues to act as a double-double machine for a Warriors team who is only a few games away from snatching homecourt advantage in the Western Conference, it could play into his hands.

Not to mention, Ball is incredibly erratic. This streak from deep could be a flash in the pan – and if he begins to struggle from the floor (as rookies tend to do), Wiseman could sweep in to steal the award. Either way, it’s exciting to have so many great young players in the league – I didn’t even mention Tyrese Haliburton, who has been phenomenal for the Sacramento Kings.