The Golden State Warriors have an oddball collection of talent. Their big three is enough to compete for a title but a breakout season from both Jordan Poole and James Wiseman would be immense.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype polled 15 NBA executives on who they think will be next season’s breakout players. Each exec was asked to name three players, with Poole and Wiseman receiving roughly 10 percent of the vote together. Darius Garland was listed as the most likely breakout star. Other notable names included Keldon Johnson and Jaren Jackson.
NBA Executives believe both Jordan Poole and James Wiseman will have breakout seasons with the Golden State Warriors.
The hopes are high for Wiseman after his less than ideal rookie season. His supreme physical gifts make it hard for him to fail, however. If he can at the very least find his niche as a rim protector — he’ll already be one of the most impactful defenders in the NBA.
What makes Wiseman even more enticing is his overall potential on both sides of the floor. He can do more than just block shots. Finding a way to weaponize his length on the perimeter and disrupt pick-and-rolls would make Wiseman a force of destruction.
Wiseman also has an opportunity to dominate offensively. He’s an easy ariel threat for lob passes and he moves like a tank in transition. Limiting his mid-range shots in favor of more interior looks and the occasional catch-and-shoot 3-pointer is the key for Wiseman.
As for Poole, a breakout season already happened. Well, for the most part.
Poole has overcome any doubt of being a rotational player as he strung together a long stretch of productive games last season. He became the best scorer on the bench and his slippery off-ball movement will keep him on the floor even when he is not among the best defenders. Poole’s value as a decoy (and actual 3-point threat) is too much to ignore.
The route to more success for Poole is expanding his repertoire to be a skilled playmaker. He already has elite ball-handling ability — now he just needs to excel at creating plays for others. Of course, it would not hurt to improve a bit on defense, too.
Nevertheless, it is great to see the Dubs getting some recognition from NBA execs. This young core is promising, if not terrifying, and can lead the future of Warriors’ basketball.