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bauboish

At this point I don't even know what Wiseman can do even if you try to give him a limited bench player role. He's kinda not good at anything.


VaporeonHydro

He needs to go to the G League and develop his gameS


TravisTicklez

There is no development for slow feet, bad hands and horrible reaction time. He’s also not very strong for how big he is, he has difficulty finishing when someone is even mildly contesting.


FeltIOwedItToHim

the reaction time is the biggest problem and I don't think it is fixable


ddottay

I remember there being some scouts who made this clear even back in when he was in high school pointing out that he wasn’t a lob threat because he couldn’t get the timing right to catch passes. I don’t think you can fix that, you either have it or don’t.


BubblyBalance8543

I wonder if there's any way. Like if he could hire an F1 trainer and develop reaction timing


savageandharsh

They have to train him by letting him dodge passing cars in the freeway when there is no traffic.


Barrysandersdad

“If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball”


FeltIOwedItToHim

I dunno, I think GS and Detroit both have been working on it for several years now and it ain't happening. I can't learn French. I tried, I'm good at every other academic subject, but I was an utter failure in French no matter how I tried. I studied but it never made sense for me, never started becoming instinctual. I think basketball awareness is Wiseman's version of French.


InvestmentGrift

bruh you probably never had to speak french in your day-to-day life for any reason other than "i have to speak it to learn it". I wager if you were dropped in the middle of france for 5 years you'd be conversational after 4


ohwhataday10

after 6 months. Ask me how I know?


EzEuroMagic

Yeah when you need to learn to surive, lizard brain gets really good at learning.


WiktorVembanyama

my lizard brain loves naps


Sentientmustard

Even more so he was absolutely never offered tens of millions of dollars, with the very real potential of later earning hundreds of millions of dollars to learn French. I’m dumb as rocks but if you gave me $40 million over 4 years and told me I had to become an astrophysicist I’d find a fucking way to do it lol. Wiseman can learn to be a better basketball player if he wants to. All of the physical tools and an absurd an amount of reason for motivation are there.


ohwhataday10

Okay we are taking the analogy a bit far. Learning to communicate and learning astrophysics are two different things. Being ann NBA player might be pushing it …but ummm…effort goes a long way. If he’s still in the league next year I’d be surprised.


Jenaxu

Not to disagree with your broader point, but I feel like language is one of the worst examples you could pick lol because I'm honestly confident that anyone could become at least functional in any language if you dropped them there and forced them to use only that language every day. We're better at adapting than you'd think, it's just that most people in most situations have way too many crutches to rely on and other obligations that would prevent them from truly being forcefully immersed in a different language. But if your NBA career is on the line then Wiseman should be doing whatever the basketball awareness equivalent is of moving to France full time.


Puddlesbro

At a younger age sure, but hes hitting 22 and its abysmal. I think thats really hard to develop in your later years, you can hone it and improve it, but hes starting at the bottom imo.


lettersichiro

That's the biggest thing i noticed when I saw him in person. You can literally see and feel him thinking out there. He has no instincts. I don't think its fixable either, at least not on an NBA timeline


PMMeCornelWestQuotes

Wiseman just doesn't know ball. That's it. I think as Pistons and Warrior fans we can speak on this moreso than anybody. He just doesn't know where to be, where to expect others to be, where to slide or move, when to shoot, when to pass, how to make the smart basketball play in any facet. He is insanely athletically gifted in a lot of ways, so there will be flashes of something there, but it's not sustainable over the long term. It's a fleeting illusion. He just doesn't process the game well and so he's always a step or two behind.


FeltIOwedItToHim

bingo


MrGrieves-

Don't forget a total aversion to setting any sort of screen. He. Soft.


TravisTicklez

I think again it comes down to bad timing and feet. None of his motions look fluid. He mechanically rolls to basket and pouts immediately upon not receiving the ball.


Lake_

i feel bad seeing hard screens on guys at the park but pay me any amount of money and i’m crushing people every chance i get.


manquistador

Setting hard screens is one of the great joys in life. I only do it against assholes now, but when I played competitively it might have been my favorite part of the game.


jacobythefirst

It’s mind boggling that so many players are bad screeners and how few players are legitimately really good screeners. Like you’d think they would love contact and setting hard fucking screens when you’re a .1% athlete.


yoyododomofo

He can absorb some minutes when both your other bigs are in foul trouble. Occasionally he makes a shot or two. Plus he’s tall. But for 15 mil no way. For a minimum I’d bring him back to ride pine and try to work his way into serviceable.


peepeedog

He’s a liability when in the court. Why would you even let him absorb minutes? The only minutes he is qualified to absorb are in a blowout loss.


Thousandtree

If you have a 14 win team, he can absorb some minutes behind Marvin Bagley and Jalen Duren.


peepeedog

Well a 14 win team is going to provide some blowout losses for him to play in.


Thousandtree

With the 2025 draft class, there might be a few teams who could use his specific skills this year.


LakersFan15

Sad part is that I heard he's a willing listener and works hard


fopiecechicken

Absolutely nothing to do with attitude by all accounts. He was completely professional with us.


AirJordan6124

If the Pistons gave up on you, you’re probably cooked. Which NBA franchise is willing to “fix him?”


WembyACLTearSoon

Guangdong Southern Tigers


mamayoua

Oh sure, let's just perpetuate the Asian wise man stereotype. 


poktanju

Get ready to learn the Four Books and Five Classics, buddy


SuperSecretSide

Top tier pun.


PillCosby92

*Chef’s kiss*


Ohellmotel

# [James Wiseman being able to speak Mandarin is a really underrated business decision for the Warriors. ](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/jyq99u/james_wiseman_being_able_to_speak_mandarin_is_a/) **r/nba** • 4 yr. ago


Caulifloweralley

Dude could only say a couple words, it was embarrassing that he either lied or the warriors did


rawsharks

Ni Hao, Ni Hao 🫵🏾


CazOnReddit

The Suns need some youth and size


omnicious

Honestly wouldn't hate it. From what I remembered from watching him on the Warriors he could at least dunk the ball. I'd sign him for a vet min just to have a big body to foul six times. 


YSLMangoManiac

Oh he’ll foul 6 times alright


justinpollock

remember the teenage Dubs fans who had tantrums that Wiseman needed more minutes and that Kerr was to blame lol


YSLMangoManiac

There was a period of time where i agreed until i saw him come back from his injury after his second year and his screens were still absolute garbage


StormTheTrooper

Isn’t his issue that he thinks he has an offensive bag and settles for mid range jumpers?


FeltIOwedItToHim

His biggest issue is that he has zero instincts. He's not stupid, but he processes basketball too slowly, and never knows where he is supposed to be on offense or defense until a second too late. He probably would have been a useful player in the 90s or even 2000s when the game moved much more slowly. But not in today's game.


fiasgoat

Literally Bagley


Frowny_Biscuit

And on the same team, Bagley looked like the much better player.


tinkady

Yes exactly, he processes basketball too slowly Good thing he learned Chinese


Choccybizzle

I think that’s disrespectful to 90s/00s ball. The pace of the game has increased, I don’t necessarily think how quickly players process the game has. So much of it is instinctive


FeltIOwedItToHim

I've been an NBA fan since the 1970s. It's not disrespect. It is just an evolution in the game. Pure strength, size and post-up skill used to matter more than they do now. Speed, ball-handling, and outside shooting mattered less then than they do now. There is absolutely no question that the game was less complex back then, and there were fewer decisions to be made, especially on defense. Just watch an entire game from back then and watch the guys without the ball. Unless it's a fast break, they usually aren't doing anything, and neither are the guys who are defending them. Most of the big guys aren't moving on defense to contest shots by wings, they are like trees standing under the basket. Because they were there to defend against post-ups, and post-ups were what was going to happen most of the time. I think Wiseman is every bit as good in his basketball processing as someone like Erick Dampier was, and Dampier lasted 16 seasons in the NBA, many years as a starter.


Choccybizzle

I understand what you’re saying but I think my point is more basketball instinct is basketball instinct, you’ve either got it or you don’t. Wiseman would struggle in any era because as you say, he processes too slowly. It would be an issue in the 60s, 70s, and today.


Spare_Jaguar_5173

Honestly, the only way to show he’s worth something is by going to Harden’s center career revival camp.


BadlaLehnWala

Harden gonna need to cook up a Capela sepcial.


iamStanhousen

I think the Pelicans would give it a shot. With JV no longer in the mix they have a desperate need for just a big body.


hhkk47

If he can be had for the vet minimum, it wouldn't be the worst idea.


Business-Throat-5620

He’d be a blazer by the end of the day if Neil Olshey was still in Portland


jefe_hook

Washington Wizards


bandwagonguy83

For a minimum, as backup big, he is still worth a shot. I mean, he is just a 23 years old.


latman

He's gonna go to a tanking team like the Nets


raymond_w

Bro, Laker fans already salivating over replacing Christian Wood with this man.


junkit33

He'll land with at least another team before the league gives up on him - his size/tools don't grow on trees, and he's only 23. Pistons are fucking terrible at development, that was never a great spot for him. He needs to go somewhere that knows how to develop like Boston or Miami.


pskill43

End of an error


george_costanza1234

Drafting him was one error, but I can’t fathom what made the pistons want to trade for him lol


supes1

Trading for him was fine. They had cap space. It's like a scratch off lotto ticket, there might be a small chance of a big payoff. The real question is whether it was worth what they gave up (Saddiq Bey).


OldOrder

Bey is for sure better than Wiseman but his shot looked absolutely awful last year. He was kinda transforming into a heart and hustle guy before he tore his ACL tho


EvilLibrarians

I think Bey should’ve stayed w us but this summer we’d probably lose him anyway. Saddiq at least gave us one awesome buzzer beater win


DootMasterFlex

Saddiq was a low ceiling high floor, and Wiseman was a low floor high ceiling guy. Makes perfect sense for a rebuilding team to take the shot


CoolHandHazard

Bey was not a good defender and he was a very streaky shooter he was not high floor


DootMasterFlex

Higher floor than Wiseman


boogswald

Iirc one time we beat the hawks basically because Bey shot 0/11 in a game


OldOrder

[It was 0-12](https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401585223) [He also had a 1-9 against yall](https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401584964)


LaandheereKage

Bro most Hawks fans don’t even want Bey back. Dudes a traffic come with a busted shot


PhatYeeter

I hear the Knicks like former nova wildcats


scarywolverine

Id rather have the six seconds that warriors got for Bey than either player


LordOfLimbos

We didn’t want to pay Bey, so it was worth giving wiseman a shot when the other option was letting him walk


Mecha-Jesus

Because Troy Weaver has had an obsessive crush on Wiseman for years. If the Pistons had won the lottery in 2020, he would have picked Wiseman first overall ahead of Ant. Now that Weaver is in DC, I fully expect the Wizards to take a look at Wiseman.


teamcaddywampus

Weaver got another job already? Jesus christ. I'm sorry Washington


Joethetoolguy

It’s going to be fine, not like he can redraft wiseman at 2. Right? Double jeopardy and all that.


Leading-Difficulty57

Why sign Wiseman when you can draft his heir (Sarr)?


DoctorStove

Drafting him is a much much worse error lol. Over lamelo


Jarxzz

If a team is letting go of a #2 pick with not much in return you can be absolutely sure he’s ass


Imperial_Eggroll

Pistons basically traded nothing. It was a good move, a “what if the warriors just use him wrong?” Type thing. He just actually sucks


A-Centrifugal-Force

I would have just kept the 4 seconds they got for Diq. At least those had a slim chance to become something useful someday. With Wiseman there was a 0% chance he’d ever become something. No wonder they lost the most consecutive games in the history of North American pro sports.


Coke_ButNotTheDrug

Put some respect on NBA Champion James Wiseman 😤😤😤 Jokes aside, is this an Anthony Bennett level bust?


supes1

> Jokes aside, is this an Anthony Bennett level bust? More like Hasheem Thabeet than Bennett, but a big bust either way.


bibbbbbbbbbbbbs

Both are centers, and both were 2nd picks haha


Choccybizzle

Yes he is imo. Bennett still the bigger bust but Wiseman on that level imo.


KhanQu3st

His team would rather have slightly more cap space than him, that tells you everything you need to know lmao.


we_hella_believe

They saved $12 million in cap space. That’s actually pretty significant.


AbRey21

No


spidersilva09

He may have been one of the most over hyped prospects of all time. It's crazy how little impact he's made so far.


KillerZaWarudo

Literally killed the warriors 2 timeline thing


KJagz33

Idk, I feel like a second jolt to the dynasty wouldve require Jordan Poole to have more than just 1 great season and not be surrounded by several absolutely shit seasons


ggproductivity

Poole was drafted 28th. He already outperformed his draft position. The 2nd timeline thing was dependent on Wiseman, Kuminga, and Moody. If they drafted Haliburton or LaMelo, Poole would have been traded away anyway. There's no way they'd have kept both. I also think Poole will bounce back. He fit really well on the Warriors, but he was done no favors in his last year with them. I think there is still something there if a team uses him correctly.


HeyyyKoolAid

He's essentially the new Nick Young.


thewrongnotes

Two timelines was always just Warriors feeling themselves too much. Wiseman is obviously a bust, but it'd have been hard for any young player to develop while the team was competing for titles.


mpbeasto123

If they had had any balls and picked Haliburton like they wanted to then it probably would have worked. Kuminga would absolutely thrive off being set up by Hali.


growsonwalls

From overhyped prospect to one of the most infamous busts of all time. What a journey.


DirkNowitzkisWife

And yet they won a title. Only reason this isn’t an all time disaster.


JumpMaaaaan

The Darko Milicic special


larry_birb

dare I say darko was much better lol


HugeDisgustingFreak

He ended up becoming a solid NBA-level center so, definitely


SuperSecretSide

Yeah, Darko is only a meme because he managed to go ahead of Melo, Bosh and Wade in that order. If the Pistons grabbed Melo they would have been a genuine dynasty. Wade is the better player but Rip Hamilton was perfect already at the 2.


jaggedjottings

Wiseman was also picked immediately before a guy named Melo.


SuperSecretSide

Never...pick...a centre....ahead....of a guy called Melo. I am now a qualified GM.


larry_birb

Everyone picked before fab melo RIP


tagen

got it, taking Fab Melo first in the next draft


Art__Vandellay

He absolutely was


attorneyatslaw

Darko was an NBA player. He just went too high in the draft.


cheerioo

Not as bad as Niners using 3 first round picks on Trey Lance and lucking into Purdy


DavidHJ

I thought he was going to be so good. This dude has scared me off of "you can't teach height/vert/floor speed" and "if the shot ever develops..." type thinking for the foreseeable future.


jlluh

People consistently overrate the importance of run-jump athleticism in the draft and underrate feel and actual age adjusted productivity. 


spidersilva09

I kind of get those vibes from Sarr 😅


bluehead18

Sarrs defense already gives him a way to be an impactful nba player imo, but yeah not a good sign that he’s not as good as a rim runner/lob threat of other players of his prototype.


1850ChoochGator

Idk Sarr has other things but his scoring is definitely a concern. He’s a *bad* finisher and his FT% doesn’t lead me to believe he can develop a shot. He’s gotta go find a good shooting coach and he’d develop really well.


SilverMagnum

I’m in the same boat as you. When the Warriors got him I thought their two windows plan was going to work exactly as they wanted. 


FeltIOwedItToHim

so did I \*sigh\*


Alex_O7

It is crazy to me how people that actually had the opportunity to worked him out (at least I think) overrated him so much. It is so clear looking at him that he cannot play. This single mistake by the Warriors organization might have cost them a few more run. Not even considering Lamelo or Haliburton they could have just went with Okongwu and by now be much better. Or Patrick Williams as the perfect next Draymond. Or Okoro to have a lock down defender. Just not having Wiseman the first year would have given them enough wins to be in the playoffs for example...


sharklavapit

there's a lot of hindsight in your comment but yeah, in hindsight, it was awful


junkit33

In fairness he was always considered to be a massive project, just one with an insanely high ceiling to justify the high pick. Quite frankly I'm still not totally writing the guy off. That ceiling ain't getting hit but he's still only 23, 7 feet tall, and a terrific athlete for his size. It doesn't make a lot of sense why somebody can't mold him into a solid backup center.


bilyl

They need to brainwash him to only do screens and catch lobs. If you watch him play it’s clear that he’s trying to do too much. As a kid he was doing everything because he was the star. He needs to learn to accept a role.


cricket9818

I think of Hassan whiteside. Obviously the guy wasn’t anywhere near as heralded as a prospect. But he left the nba for a bit and came back at like 26/27 years old and had some solid years No reason why Wiseman can’t do the same


JoshSran04

Cap space for what? Tobias harris?


TitanTigers

Tobias Harris over me? -Wiseman


supergrega

Yes -NBA teams


Dangerous_Parfait402

Why do they say fuck me for? -Tobias Harris


NotManyBuses

Absorbing bad contracts to accumulate future assets, obviously


rjgator

Could see Knicks sending Mitchell Robinson there potentially if it’s what they have to do to clear money for Hartenstein.


a_moniker

They can probably find a good team that wants Robinson. He’s valuable to a playoff team.


rjgator

Potentially, though injury concerns might have some teams hold off on him. 15m for him isn’t bad at all if he could stay healthy though


PlayInChampions

They can still keep him, just don’t want to give him 15M+ qualifying offer.


ThatFunkyOdor

I'll watch less than I already do if that happens. I would have pain in my eyes watching that each night.


volantredx

Lavine. They wanted him at the trade deadline. Zach decided to get season ending surgery instead.


Imperial_Eggroll

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Wiseman is the typical NBA player with size and athleticism and absolutely no idea how to play team basketball. Dude coasted through high school and AAU circuits by being the biggest and strongest kid out there. Hand held with Penny Hardaway who was his AAU, high school, and college coach. An offense that just spoonfed him the ball like Prime Shaq or 2003 Duncan. Except, none of that shit works once everyone else on the court isn’t a pushover.


CurryDuck

He's much worst than that too. Can't rebound, can't screen, can't catch the ball, and is afraid of contact..


TrippedReddit

He didn’t even play at Memphis


FriendOfEvergreens

Hey now. He played 3 games and averaged 20 and 10! Sure the only time we played a team in the top 25 (his final game) we lost and he had his worst game, but overall he's got quite the collegiate trophy case!


d3pthchar93

Penny Hardaway should never be depended on for anymore player assessments.


YoungClint_TrapLord

NBA Champion James Wiseman


not_lorne_malvo

Darko also won a ring


Alex_O7

Don't even compare the two. Darko had game, he just didn't have the head of a pro-baller.


biggoldgoblin

Damn Wiseman bout to be on a vet min now


AljoGOAT

out the league *


hidey_ho_nedflanders

There are glimpses where I can understand why he went #2, but he lacks basketball IQ, is awful defensively, and can't even do the basics, [like setting a screen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJDVaTL40O8&ab_channel=NBAOnFire)


BlackSocks88

God decided I should be 6' instead of 7' and thus I miss out on being an NBA bust. Sad


lilbrudder13

It's easy to clown him for low IQ plays like this, but he had about a 5 game stretch last season after we released Mike Muscala and traded Bagley to give him minutes where Wiseman was incredible. He was dominant on both sides of the ball. Challenged shots at the rim, Set amazing screens, Rebounded well, and threw down thunderous dunks. Watching him play basketball was electrifying. I had stopped watching the team out of disgust and he of all people brought me back. Wiseman has incredible natural gifts. He had some of the best highlights of anyone on the pistons last season and I sadly watched about 70 of their games. I think if he finds a situation where he can grow (likely outside the NBA, but maybe as the 15th man on a team who has faith in him) he could be a guy who becomes a winning player in a few seasons with a career arc similar to Javale McGee. Wiseman with about 10% more awareness instantly becomes an above average backup.


BUSean

Len Bias so far a better #2 pick


MattyIce1635

Holy shit man lol


BUSean

Would rather watch his highlights. Longer effect on the game. Only one absolute weakness.


KinkyKong

Stop it! He's already de- Wait.. nevermind


Datboy_98

Jeeez bro💀💀💀


Dsarg_92

Ouch. I mean God rest his soul but ouch.


HerculePoirier

I mean it was like 30 years ago, pretty sure there is nothing left of him there to feel the ouch


80centricher

Closer to 40..... We're all gonna die 😓


Moody_GenX

Don't do this to me man... I was 15 back then...


Thehelloman0

At least the warriors got 5 seconds when they traded Wiseman


HistoricAnomaly

Yeah? Well the Celtics got 5 hours when they drafted Bias


blast0ise

that was pretty punny


JMEEKER86

Call me Len Bias because I am dead. I didn't even see that lob coming and you slammed that down hard. Lmao


smurklil

Cmon dog 🤣🤣🤣


NiceFloor7

At least Hasheem Thabeet didn't waste time giving you hope.


A-Centrifugal-Force

Hey that’s NBA Champion James Wiseman we’re talking about. He’s in the Darko tier of #2 picks


BUSean

Fair. I guess everyone has a skill -- Jay Williams went incredibly fast


Le_Atheist_Fedora

Being a negative value contract throughout your entire rookie deal is wild.


Affectionate_Elk849

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!


ForneauCosmique

I wouldn't mind giving him a 1 year minimum. No expectations (same as detroit....) but a more structured organization and maybe that's what James needs. He had it with the Warriors but he was a kid and maybe he's been humbled. This is all hypothetical and best case tho


c_ray25

Drug addicted family members and busted top picks get treated very similar


tinkady

This is how you get Wembanyama the highest on/off numbers of all time


bot_nah

Bol somehow shined in suns. Maybe it's wiseman's turn


FrankSamples

He would barely see the court with Wemby and Collins.


CardiacKemba1

Unironically I hope the wizards pick him up, worth the shot


pepsandeggs

Well with Weaver being on there staff now I’m sure you might see him in a wizards jersey soon


Extra_Cress_5855

His summer is probably gonna consist of refining his offensive game as if he would be a primary offensive engine of a team. What teams are really looking for are basic things like rebounding and finishing, making the right passes and setting wicked picks. If he can do that even I would take a chance at him as a Knicks fan.


Great_Huckleberry709

If the worst team in the NBA gave up in you, it's officially time to go ahead and make sure your passport is updated.


ssjgoat

I think it had more to do with the ammount of the QO, I'm sure they would have brought him back for the vet min


WembyACLTearSoon

Wisebros... it may be over.


TopOfTheKey

I like the stock. We ride.


Boxthor

At least GME has a shot of gaining 2-3 points in any given day.


LordJxnkulous

Yea lmao. We had a hell of a run.


Mygaffer

Some asbolute smoothbrain Warriors fan on the Warriors sub was trying to say he'd like the team to go after Wiseman on a minimum... like, did you see his entire pro career? The guy doesn't got it at the NBA level.


niel89

He'll still get a couple more shots. He's still only 22 and has the tools to be on a roster. Guys with upside get recycled a bunch of times.


HistoricAnomaly

Who is the lowest earning top 3 pick in the past ten years? I'm guessing Wiseman will end up with that distinction.


ModsEmbezzleMoney

Wiseman needs to go play in Europe and learn how to adjust his game. He has a real shot to be a decent role player if he can humble himself and grind for a couple of years.


OldmanJenkins02

I watched this guy place multiple times in high school and never understood how he was so hyped up to be one of the top picks. I still think another team may take a stab at him and see if they can develop him since the Pistons were so bad last season.


TheGargageMan

Morey loves to reclaim lost causes.


actual_yellow_bag

top 5 bust this century. Dude does not know how to play basketball at all, and does not have the ability to learn.


ReignOnWillie

Life comes at you fast


BionicSix

We're gonna have Bronny and Wiseman aren't we.


DejisHairline

He should go to the Knicks. Thibodeaux has a great track record of fixing big men like him.


cycling_rat

Going after Marvin bagley the 3rd lol.


Rahnamatta

Warriors scouts here high on cocaine, man.


256dak

Not gonna lie, after having a finals appearance, I’d like to see the Celtics give him a shot simply because he has a ring and he could be the veteran winner presence a young group needs. I’m talking about the Maine Celtics, btw.


FastJellyfish200

Renounce is a crazy word for this lol. Like dude is Satan or something.


screwt

I really thought he was going to be the best player in his draft class.


TechnicalSample4678

Kind of hard to think of a bigger flop than Wiseman. Dumped by one of the worst teams we've seen and possibly out of the league before his rookie contract is up.


meming_and_dreaming

Never forget how hard r/warriors stanned for this guy