James Wiseman and Chris Bosh are both left-handed big men, and the young star had an eerily similar rookie season as the former Heat and Raptors forward.
If Wiseman’s career turns out anything like Bosh’s, then it should be considered a win for the Warriors center. Wiseman and Bosh, prior to coming into the NBA, did have a few notable differences.
The Golden State Warriors 2020 first-round pick, James Wiseman, had a rookie season that was comparable to that of 11-time All-Star Chris Bosh.
For starters, Bosh played most of his lone collegiate season. Playing in 30-plus games at a high level probably helped prepare him for the NBA. Wiseman was in just three games at Memphis before opting to just train for the draft.
Bosh also stepped onto a roster with the Raptors that needed him to score. While Wiseman ended up being a solid option, the Warriors had two-time MVP Stephen Curry and were always going to be one of the better teams in the West despite not quite reaching the playoffs.
As for Wiseman, he ended his rookie season averaging 11.5 points per game. He played in just 39 games, starting 27. Wiseman didn’t play the last several weeks with an injury and also missed most of February injured as well.
Playing in just over 20 minutes per game, Wiseman shot over 50 percent from the field. It was an all-around solid season for the rookie.
He could’ve been better, sure. The same could’ve been said of Bosh, who eventually turned into one of the best players of the star-studded 2003 draft class. Bosh was drafted fourth overall in the class in which LeBron James was taken No. 1.
Bosh also averaged 11.5 points per game.
However, he was one of the main options for Toronto, playing in over 33 minutes per game. After that rookie season, Bosh didn’t look back, topping over 16 per game in his second season and then 20-plus per game for more than half a decade after that.
While it’s unlikely Wiseman has that type of skyrocket statistical improvement given his role on the roster, Wiseman can still have a greater impact than he did as a rookie.
That said, while Bosh is a bit more elusive, we saw what Wiseman can do around the rim and with his athleticism as a rookie. Wiseman has the trajectory of a player that could be a big-time star, and if he follows Bosh’s footprints, he’ll be doing just that.