The Golden State Warriors have gotten the most out of No. 2 pick James Wiseman at the start of the NBA season. Still, with the second pick in the draft, the Warriors had the chance to also grab guard LaMelo Ball instead, who was rumored to definitely be on the Warriors' radar should they pass on Wiseman.
Though Golden State was high on Ball's skill set, the Warriors had a logical reason for passing on the rookie sensation, according to Marcus Thompson of The Athletic:
“From what I was told, they (Warriors) saw [LaMelo] as the most talented player in the draft, but the fit made more sense with Wiseman,” said Thompson. “It wasn't like they weren't on him.”
Coming into the 2020 draft, it was widely speculated that the top-3 projected picks could fall anywhere to the first three teams on board. After the Warriors took Wiseman, Ball ended up falling to the Charlotte Hornets with the third pick, and he's been playing like a Rookie of the Year candidate.
As for Wiseman, the Warriors were in need of an additional big to help shape out the roster. Grabbing a center in the free agency pool last offseason was a risk given their cap situation. Grabbing Wiseman on a rookie deal was the best bet for the Warriors, and he's paid off so far given his lack of experience.
The 19-year old is averaging 10.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game on 20.7 MPG for the Warriors.
He has fared well as the starting center alongside Draymond Green, but the Warriors will need more from their starting unit overall as the season progresses. The Dubs have improved after a nightmarish first week to the season, largely because Draymond got back into the lineup after missing multiple games due to injury. However, Golden State is going to play some of the tougher games on its schedule as January moves along. Wiseman will need to meet the challenge.
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