Golden State Warriors: Ranking each member of young core by ceiling
By Tony Pesta
James Wiseman can become a defensive anchor for Golden State Warriors
Even in spite of a somewhat troublesome two years for James Wiseman, featuring an NCAA scandal and bumpy rookie NBA season, the future is bright for the young center.
Wiseman is set up for success strictly off his athleticism. It is truly rare to see a seven-footer who moves like Wiseman. Say what you will about his first year in Golden State — you can not deny how stunning it was to see Wiseman unleashed in transition at various times.
He moves with fantastic agility in open space and is a powerful finisher at the rim. The Warriors only scratched the surface of what can be achieved with Wiseman acting as an ariel threat on rolls to the basket.
The same goes for the defensive end of the floor where Wiseman was more robotic than naturally finding his spot on the floor. Wiseman can be an impactful rim protector once he grows a deeper understanding of how the NBA game is played.
Putting his physical gifts to use is the next step for Wiseman. Most of his shortcomings have come from a lack of spatial awareness and an uncertainty of what his role should be. Simplifying things and focusing on controlling the paint will help Wiseman next year.