Golden State Warriors big man James Wiseman is having a strong start to his NBA career, with the 19-year-old rookie emerging as a solid piece for the Dubs so far this season. However, if you ask him, the second overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft knows that there's still so much he has to learn.
When asked about what aspect of NBA basketball he believes he's still way behind on, Wiseman admitted that his intelligence level on the court is something he needs to improve on:
Article Continues Below“Ha,” Wiseman laughed, via Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “These players are fucking smart because they’re vets. They’ve played in the league for eight years. I’m a perfectionist, so if I have a bad game, I get really down. My teammates pick me back up. I be too hard on myself sometimes. The intelligence of these basketball players. Sometimes, y’all don’t see it in the games, but on rebounds, they be hooking me and stuff like that. Little tricks.”
To illustrate his point, Wiseman detailed a specific instance wherein he was completely outsmarted by a vet during one of the Warriors games. This featured Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, who used a familiar veteran move on the rookie:
“Last night, when I guarded (Damian Lillard), he came off the screen and I was going full speed because I was trying to block his shot and he stopped right in my tracks and drew a foul,” Wiseman said with a grumble. “I was like, how the hell …? I was going super fast, he’s already in front of me and he stopped and got the foul. Little stuff like that. It’s the small details inside the game that makes players great.”
James Wiseman is what you might consider a raw talent at the moment. He's shown some flashes of brilliance, but it's also true that he still has a ways to go before becoming an elite NBA center. There's also no denying the future is bright for this kid.