If the Pistons had won the 2020 NBA draft lottery, chances are James Wiseman would have been wearing their uniform from the start. As it was, Wiseman went to the Golden State Warriors and entered a world very few high lottery picks experience.
Because of that quirk – Golden State reaping the second pick amid its dynastic run when critical injuries temporarily skewed reality – and Wiseman’s own season-long injury in season two, he’s still in the early stages of development.
Pistons general manager Troy Weaver took advantage of the unusual circumstances of the Wiseman-Golden State situation to buy low on a player he sees as having an extraordinarily high ceiling.
“For all intents and purposes, he just finished his rookie season,” Weaver said. “I like what he brings. The skill set, his length, his athleticism. He’s got work to do in the weight room but on the floor, as well. I see big upside there.”
Here's a look at Wiseman’s past, present and future:
PROFILE: 7-foot-0 center, 22 years old, 3 NBA seasons
2022-23 STATS: 10.0 points and 5.9 rebounds on 55.8 percent shooting in 19 minutes a game over 45 games; 12.7 points and 8.1 rebounds on 53.1 percent shooting in 25 minutes a game over 24 games with the Pistons, including 22 starts.
STATUS: Wiseman, the No. 2 pick of the 2020 NBA draft by Golden State, will be entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract in 2023-24. He is eligible for a contract extension this off-season.
DID YOU KNOW?: Wiseman was considered the No. 1 prospect in the 2019 high school recruiting class over No. 2 Isaiah Stewart. Wiseman grew up in Nashville, Tenn., and visited Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Kansas and Florida State but was drawn to Memphis after transferring to play at Memphis East High to play for Penny Hardaway, who became head coach at the university.
A LOOK BACK: Because of Wiseman’s history with Hardaway, his NCAA eligibility came under scrutiny and he was declared ineligible after playing three games while an investigation was launched. As that probe dragged on, Wiseman eventually withdrew from school to focus on the 2020 NBA draft. He wound up being the No. 2 pick – Minnesota won the lottery and chose Anthony Edwards – of a Golden State team understandably more focused on maximizing its window of championship contention than developing teenage talent. Wiseman made 27 starts in 39 appearances as a rookie, averaging 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds, but his role tapered off after missing time with a wrist injury as the Warriors struggled to incorporate Wiseman into an intricate offensive system predicated on the precision movement of veterans like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Wiseman’s second season was a complete wash as he missed all of it while recuperating from knee surgery after incurring a torn right meniscus in April of his rookie season.
THE SEASON THAT WAS: The writing seemed on the wall early that Wiseman wouldn’t finish the season in Golden State as the Warriors hear the clock ticking on the viability of their championship core. Wiseman opened the season in the rotation and got off to a strong start, averaging 11.0 points and 5.4 rebounds in his first five games, but after five games of diminished production he lost his spot in the rotation. The Pistons made a bet on Wiseman’s immense potential at the February trade deadline, engaging in a four-team trade that also included Atlanta and Portland to land Wiseman for Saddiq Bey, the 19th pick of the 2020 draft that produced Wiseman. Wiseman essentially split minutes with rookie Jalen Duren at center over the season’s final two months and showed flashes of the elite physical skills that earned him his place atop both his high school recruiting rankings and the 2020 draft class. Also clear over that time were the repetitions Wiseman has been denied by NCAA investigation, injury and lack of opportunity under unusual circumstances in Golden State.
A LOOK AHEAD: It will be a critical off-season for all of the Pistons young players, but for nobody more than Wiseman. With his first genuine opportunity for a meaningful role awaiting him, Wiseman has work to do on several fronts, starting with the weight room. The physical gifts are real – the incredible length (a 7-foot-6 wingspan) combined with rare grace, agility and shooting touch. With improved strength and conditioning and better awareness that can only come with repetitions, Wiseman’s potential as a high-level scorer, rebounder and shot disruptor is off the charts. The Pistons understood where he was when they traded for him, but general manager Troy Weaver had intimate knowledge of Wiseman from his prospect days and is extraordinarily bullish on his future. The presence of Jalen Duren, 2½ years younger than Duren but with virtually the same NBA experience as Wiseman, figures to help drive Wiseman’s quest to fulfill his potential now that the Pistons have presented him with an opportunity that must have previously seemed beyond his reach.
MONEY QUOTE: “I feel like going into this transition, it was pretty tough but I embraced everything because I love basketball and love playing the game. This summer, I’m dedicated to getting better in every aspect of my game and I’m just working toward that every day. It’s just a blessing to have the opportunity to play again and to have the opportunity to be on the court and play basketball gain. I’m just super blessed to be out there.” – James Wiseman as the 2022-23 season ended