James Wiseman’s development is key for the Warriors title hopes

As James Wiseman inches closer and closer to returning for his second season of NBA basketball following a torn meniscus, he has left many questions about his fit with an already-stacked Golden State roster.

Last season his impact on winning was limited due to his lack of awareness on either side of the basketball, and his lack of strength compared to other starting-level big men.

One thing, however, was clear when James Wiseman graced the floor. The potential for greatness with the Warriors franchise is there, and he has tons of it.

Wiseman is an interesting player to pay attention to based on his ability to potentially play many different styles of basketball and succeed in all of them.

Part of what contributes to this is his developing jumper, which has shown flashes of being on the level of Towns or Jokic, if not better.

By far his most well-established strength is his defensive prowess. With his height, athleticism, and 7-foot-6 wingspan, he can reach up and deflect shots from any player who tries to shoot over him.

Wiseman has also shown to be good in the dunkers position, especially during a Curry/Green pick-and-roll combination and has shown to have potential driving into the lane off the ball as well.

Other games have shown an exceptional ability to score in the post, but he has also shown a lack of strength to make this a consistent threat.

Wiseman during his rookie season also showed some significant areas for improvement.

Coach Steve Kerr runs a motion-based offense with plenty of screens set to get shooters open and get athletic players momentum to run at the hoop.

Wiseman has shown to be unaware of where he needs to be and where he needs to move at times, slowing down the ball and creating a hole in the Warriors offensive scheme.

Defensively, he seems even more lost at times, losing his man during pick-and-roll sets, losing touch of his assignment at the perimeter, and overcompensating by going for late block opportunities which end as goaltends.

Wiseman has also had issues with screens and on-ball post defense due to his lack of strength, being pushed around too easily for him to really make an impact in these areas.

These developments should be relatively simple.

Most of the areas Wiseman has struggled in have been areas based on experience and IQ of the game. These just come with time and should be sped along with the help of great basketball minds such as Curry, Green, and Iguodala.

Strength will also come with time; Wiseman has been reported to be one of the hardest-working players on the Golden State roster.

If Wiseman spent his off-season working toward getting stronger, he could be a huge piece for the Warriors. Especially when considering he is the tallest player on the roster by 2-3 inches.

All in all, Wiseman can be a great piece for the Warriors if he can learn the game a little more, these things just require some patience and a bit of luck.

The Warriors are confident that Wiseman can do it and are willing to be patient to make it happen.