James Wiseman is beginning to see an expanded role with the Golden State Warriors and he's getting pointers from multiple veterans on the roster. After the Warriors beat the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, Wiseman revealed what he's learned from Draymond Green thus far, via ESPN's Nick Friedell.
Wiseman on how he stayed out of foul trouble tonight: "Really just being smart, listening to Draymond, talking to Draymond. He's giving me little tricks, different tricks on how to be smart. How to stay on my feet because I'm 7'1 so I don't have to jump."
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) January 21, 2021
When the Warriors took Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, they added him to become a prominent presence in the paint. The rookie center has endured some ups and downs thus far, but he's beginning to improve in areas of his game.
The Memphis product has struggled with foul trouble early this season. In his first 14 games with the Warriors, Wiseman has 49 fouls committed, which is the seventh-most in the league.
With Wiseman needing help in learning how not to foul, he went to Green — who's been a mentor to Wiseman — to get help in defending without fouling. Seeing that Wiseman stands at 7-foot-1, he doesn't need to be jumping toward offensive players when they attack the basket.
Green informed Wiseman to go straight up since he doesn't necessarily need to get off of his feet at his height. The first-year big man is still trying to implement in his game as he's logged four or more personal fouls in the past four games for the Warriors.
Aside from the fouls, Wiseman is having a decent rookie campaign with 11.4 points and six rebounds per game. Once Wiseman can learn how to defend without fouling, then he could begin to be a dominant rim protector for Golden State.
Follow Us
Subscribe