Sam Vecenine - James Wiseman viewed by some execs as one of the safest picks

[Smartacus]

Having talked to sources who have seen Wiseman work out in Miami, there is some real enthusiasm about his play. He's looked dominant in workouts and in the runs with other high-level NBA Draft prospects. A lot of executives I've spoken with actually consider Wiseman to be among the safer players in the draft. Simply put, few executives doubt that his size, length, athleticism will translate into being a starting quality NBA center. There the disagreement comes is whether or not he has star upside, something that is necessary for a team to be willing to take a center at the top of the draft in today's day and age. Some think his defensive ability on the interior does bring that kind of upside. Others are less convinced.

www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-draft-rumors-executives-consider-james-wiseman-one-of-the-safer-players-in-the-2020-class/amp/

Fairly interesting development. Wiseman has been something of a mystery box player since being ruled ineligible by the NCAA.

Now that he's actually being put next to the other prospects, its becoming clear that he is a step up athletically than the majority of his peers.

I don't know if there is any deal for us that would net us a pick in his range but if it is possible would you be interested in adding Wiseman?

Could he be big and skilled enough to allow us to match up with Embiid, Adebayo, Davis, etc?

[Ilikesports17]

I don’t think it’s realistic to get higher than 8 trading up and I doubt he’s there.

I do hope we trade up if we can land any of Hayes, him or Okongwu in that 8-10 range.

[gouki88]

If he falls to mid-lottery I’d be very tempted to jump up. I think his athleticism is superior to most NBA bigs. Could very well see him as a more skilled DJ

[KGs Knee]

James Wiseman really does seem like the biggest unknown of the top prospects.

He looks like he has all the tools to be an elite big in the modern NBA but there is so little tape on him and the way his brief college season went raises more questions than it does provide answers. Teams are going to have to rely on his workouts and interviews much more than they usually would I suspect.

He could be the next DeAndre Ayton.  But if you pick him you better hope he isn't the next Hasheem Thabeet.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

James Wiseman really does seem like the biggest unknown of the top prospects.

He looks like he has all the tools to be an elite big in the modern NBA but there is so little tape on him and the way his brief college season went raises more questions than it does provide answers. Teams are going to have to rely on his workouts and interviews much more than they usually would I suspect.

He could be the next DeAndre Ayton.  But if you pick him you better hope he isn't the next Hasheem Thabeet.

There are a lot of differences between James Wiseman and Hasheem Thabeet. Athleticism, offence, fluidity, etc. I don't think its right to compare any risky center with the biggest draft bust of all time.

I've argued that he is at least the prospect that DeAndre Ayton was at the same age, based on athleticism and skills. I see much more fluidity to his game too, similar to Anthony Davis. I'm not saying he will be that great, but I'm saying that his athleticism has a little bit of Davis to him.

He's a great prospect based on what we know of him. If interviews and references demonstrate character question marks, obviously that changes things, but I've not heard any of that.

[shut_the_gate]

Having talked to sources who have seen Wiseman work out in Miami, there is some real enthusiasm about his play. He's looked dominant in workouts and in the runs with other high-level NBA Draft prospects. A lot of executives I've spoken with actually consider Wiseman to be among the safer players in the draft. Simply put, few executives doubt that his size, length, athleticism will translate into being a starting quality NBA center. There the disagreement comes is whether or not he has star upside, something that is necessary for a team to be willing to take a center at the top of the draft in today's day and age. Some think his defensive ability on the interior does bring that kind of upside. Others are less convinced.

www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-draft-rumors-executives-consider-james-wiseman-one-of-the-safer-players-in-the-2020-class/amp/

Fairly interesting development. Wiseman has been something of a mystery box player since being ruled ineligible by the NCAA.

Now that he's actually being put next to the other prospects, its becoming clear that he is a step up athletically than the majority of his peers.

I don't know if there is any deal for us that would net us a pick in his range but if it is possible would you be interested in adding Wiseman?

Could he be big and skilled enough to allow us to match up with Embiid, Adebayo, Davis, etc?

The thing about Wiseman is he hasn’t shown he has elite ‘instincts’ as a rim protector like Embiid or Davis and he has no passing vision what so ever unlike Bam so if you are drafting him you are taking a huge risk that he has an insane work ethic to improve in which he should be viewed as a project late lottery pick. Also a GM would look at the issue of how Wiseman sees himself in a system because at the moment he only has the NBA ability to Rim run and set screens but when he talks he sounds like he thinks he’s an Embiid, Davis type who can do anything which will be an issue.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Having talked to sources who have seen Wiseman work out in Miami, there is some real enthusiasm about his play. He's looked dominant in workouts and in the runs with other high-level NBA Draft prospects. A lot of executives I've spoken with actually consider Wiseman to be among the safer players in the draft. Simply put, few executives doubt that his size, length, athleticism will translate into being a starting quality NBA center. There the disagreement comes is whether or not he has star upside, something that is necessary for a team to be willing to take a center at the top of the draft in today's day and age. Some think his defensive ability on the interior does bring that kind of upside. Others are less convinced.

www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-draft-rumors-executives-consider-james-wiseman-one-of-the-safer-players-in-the-2020-class/amp/

Fairly interesting development. Wiseman has been something of a mystery box player since being ruled ineligible by the NCAA.

Now that he's actually being put next to the other prospects, its becoming clear that he is a step up athletically than the majority of his peers.

I don't know if there is any deal for us that would net us a pick in his range but if it is possible would you be interested in adding Wiseman?

Could he be big and skilled enough to allow us to match up with Embiid, Adebayo, Davis, etc?

The thing about Wiseman is he hasn’t shown he has elite ‘instincts’ as a rim protector like Embiid or Davis and he has no passing vision what so ever unlike Bam so if you are drafting him you are taking a huge risk that he has an insane work ethic to improve in which he should be viewed as a project late lottery pick. Also a GM would look at the issue of how Wiseman sees himself in a system because at the moment he only has the NBA ability to Rim run and set screens but when he talks he sounds like he thinks he’s an Embiid, Davis type who can do anything which will be an issue.

Bam averaged .8 assists a game in college.

Embiid averaged 2.6 blocks per game in 23 mpg.
Wiseman averaged 3 blocks per game in 23 mpg.

These narratives are unfactual. You can say justifiably that he is unproven, or that we just haven't seen enough of it. But Wiseman has plenty of defensive instincts. Every level he has played -- high school, AAU, u18, etc. -- he has always averaged a reasonable amount of blocks per game.

If you wanna talk about a player that doesn't protect the rim, let's talk about Ayton, who averaged 1.9 bpg in 33 minutes, which is less than of what Wiseman did per minute.

[gift]

Wiseman may have stunted his own development somewhat. I remember in high school he was talking about modeling his game after Kevin Durant. He simply isn't that kind of player. But he can aspire to be like an AD-lite.

[KGs Knee]

James Wiseman really does seem like the biggest unknown of the top prospects.

He looks like he has all the tools to be an elite big in the modern NBA but there is so little tape on him and the way his brief college season went raises more questions than it does provide answers. Teams are going to have to rely on his workouts and interviews much more than they usually would I suspect.

He could be the next DeAndre Ayton.  But if you pick him you better hope he isn't the next Hasheem Thabeet.

There are a lot of differences between James Wiseman and Hasheem Thabeet. Athleticism, offence, fluidity, etc. I don't think its right to compare any risky center with the biggest draft bust of all time.

I've argued that he is at least the prospect that DeAndre Ayton was at the same age, based on athleticism and skills. I see much more fluidity to his game too, similar to Anthony Davis. I'm not saying he will be that great, but I'm saying that his athleticism has a little bit of Davis to him.

He's a great prospect based on what we know of him. If interviews and references demonstrate character question marks, obviously that changes things, but I've not heard any of that.

I'd say the way his college experience played out is one huge red flag for possible character issues. The interviews can alleviate that, though, if he comes across as thoughtful and understanding of what will be asked of him at the NBA level.

And you're right he isn't the same player as Thabeet. But I do think they both share a similar lack of understanding of the finer points of the game of basketball, at least from afar. Could be wrong about that, though, there's just not a lot of tape out there on him against meaningful competition.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

James Wiseman really does seem like the biggest unknown of the top prospects.

He looks like he has all the tools to be an elite big in the modern NBA but there is so little tape on him and the way his brief college season went raises more questions than it does provide answers. Teams are going to have to rely on his workouts and interviews much more than they usually would I suspect.

He could be the next DeAndre Ayton.  But if you pick him you better hope he isn't the next Hasheem Thabeet.

There are a lot of differences between James Wiseman and Hasheem Thabeet. Athleticism, offence, fluidity, etc. I don't think its right to compare any risky center with the biggest draft bust of all time.

I've argued that he is at least the prospect that DeAndre Ayton was at the same age, based on athleticism and skills. I see much more fluidity to his game too, similar to Anthony Davis. I'm not saying he will be that great, but I'm saying that his athleticism has a little bit of Davis to him.

He's a great prospect based on what we know of him. If interviews and references demonstrate character question marks, obviously that changes things, but I've not heard any of that.

I'd say the way his college experience played out is one huge red flag for possible character issues. The interviews can alleviate that, though, if he comes across as thoughtful and understanding of what will be asked of him at the NBA level.

And you're right he isn't the same player as Thabeet. But I do think they both share a similar lack of understanding of the finer points of the game of basketball, at least from afar. Could be wrong about that, though, there's just not a lot of tape out there on him against meaningful competition.

You do realize that he got caught with the same type of violations that Ayton committed, but wasn't caught for until after his freshman year, right? There is very little difference there.

Thabeet was a 22 year old junior when he was drafted into the NBA. Wiseman will be a 19 year old freshman. It took three full seasons for Thabeet to get to the point where he could score 14 ppg on 31 mpg. Wiseman has more offensive ability than that already.

When Thabeet was drafted, everyone knew it was highly questionable not only because he lacked a love for the game, but because of his abilities on the court. He was slow-footed and offensively challenged. He was also an older player, which made many wonder how much he could grow.

Thabeet has very, very little in common with Wiseman as a prospect. Wiseman is much more like DeAndre Ayton.

[CFAN38]

Wiseman is in a weird spot his athleticism and physical profile gives him a Javale Mcgee floor. Even if like Mcgee his IQ is subpar he should have no issue carving out a role in the league. In many ways his ceiling is limited by the trends of the modern NBA. If he isn't a super star at the level of Embiid/Jokic/Gobert he will fall into the tough middle ground where if not on the right team his value becomes diminished.

I have come around to the idea that the Cs could be the perfect Wiseman fit. It would be a gamble but I would shop a R Williams, 14,26, and 30 trade package to teams in the 5-8 range if Wiseman is available. He would in effect take R Williams and Kanters roles on the roster becoming both the long term project and the Embiid size match-up.

While it feels a little fare fetched that he drops it only take one team liking Okongwu over Wiseman and a player like Avdija or Okoro going earlier then expect to unravel the top of the lottery.

1. Minn, Edwards
2. GS, Advija (KOC is predicting this)
3. Hornets, Ball
4. Bulls, Okoro/Hayes (if they have faith in Carter/Lauri)
5. Cavs, Okongwu/Toppin (nothing the Cavs do surprises me
6. ATL, Hayes/Haliburton (I could see them taking Wiseman to facilitate a trade with either Wiseman or Capela)

That then puts the Cs in range to make a move up. With the Pistons likely to resign Woods they may be less inclined to want to take on Wiseman and R Williams still offers a nice long and short term Center option and the picks would give them a chance to add young pieces behind their aging Rose/Griffin current roster.   

[KGs Knee]

James Wiseman really does seem like the biggest unknown of the top prospects.

He looks like he has all the tools to be an elite big in the modern NBA but there is so little tape on him and the way his brief college season went raises more questions than it does provide answers. Teams are going to have to rely on his workouts and interviews much more than they usually would I suspect.

He could be the next DeAndre Ayton.  But if you pick him you better hope he isn't the next Hasheem Thabeet.

There are a lot of differences between James Wiseman and Hasheem Thabeet. Athleticism, offence, fluidity, etc. I don't think its right to compare any risky center with the biggest draft bust of all time.

I've argued that he is at least the prospect that DeAndre Ayton was at the same age, based on athleticism and skills. I see much more fluidity to his game too, similar to Anthony Davis. I'm not saying he will be that great, but I'm saying that his athleticism has a little bit of Davis to him.

He's a great prospect based on what we know of him. If interviews and references demonstrate character question marks, obviously that changes things, but I've not heard any of that.

I'd say the way his college experience played out is one huge red flag for possible character issues. The interviews can alleviate that, though, if he comes across as thoughtful and understanding of what will be asked of him at the NBA level.

And you're right he isn't the same player as Thabeet. But I do think they both share a similar lack of understanding of the finer points of the game of basketball, at least from afar. Could be wrong about that, though, there's just not a lot of tape out there on him against meaningful competition.

You do realize that he got caught with the same type of violations that Ayton committed, but wasn't caught for until after his freshman year, right? There is very little difference there.

Thabeet was a 22 year old junior when he was drafted into the NBA. Wiseman will be a 19 year old freshman. It took three full seasons for Thabeet to get to the point where he could score 14 ppg on 31 mpg. Wiseman has more offensive ability than that already.

When Thabeet was drafted, everyone knew it was highly questionable not only because he lacked a love for the game, but because of his abilities on the court. He was slow-footed and offensively challenged. He was also an older player, which made many wonder how much he could grow.

Thabeet has very, very little in common with Wiseman as a prospect. Wiseman is much more like DeAndre Ayton.

And yet both outcomes are very much a possibility for Wiseman.  He could end up a star or a huge bust. He has some serious red flags as to his character and hasn't shown much court awareness.  But like I said, there's so little meaningful tape on him it's really hard to say, thus why his workouts and interviews are so important.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

James Wiseman really does seem like the biggest unknown of the top prospects.

He looks like he has all the tools to be an elite big in the modern NBA but there is so little tape on him and the way his brief college season went raises more questions than it does provide answers. Teams are going to have to rely on his workouts and interviews much more than they usually would I suspect.

He could be the next DeAndre Ayton.  But if you pick him you better hope he isn't the next Hasheem Thabeet.

There are a lot of differences between James Wiseman and Hasheem Thabeet. Athleticism, offence, fluidity, etc. I don't think its right to compare any risky center with the biggest draft bust of all time.

I've argued that he is at least the prospect that DeAndre Ayton was at the same age, based on athleticism and skills. I see much more fluidity to his game too, similar to Anthony Davis. I'm not saying he will be that great, but I'm saying that his athleticism has a little bit of Davis to him.

He's a great prospect based on what we know of him. If interviews and references demonstrate character question marks, obviously that changes things, but I've not heard any of that.

I'd say the way his college experience played out is one huge red flag for possible character issues. The interviews can alleviate that, though, if he comes across as thoughtful and understanding of what will be asked of him at the NBA level.

And you're right he isn't the same player as Thabeet. But I do think they both share a similar lack of understanding of the finer points of the game of basketball, at least from afar. Could be wrong about that, though, there's just not a lot of tape out there on him against meaningful competition.

You do realize that he got caught with the same type of violations that Ayton committed, but wasn't caught for until after his freshman year, right? There is very little difference there.

Thabeet was a 22 year old junior when he was drafted into the NBA. Wiseman will be a 19 year old freshman. It took three full seasons for Thabeet to get to the point where he could score 14 ppg on 31 mpg. Wiseman has more offensive ability than that already.

When Thabeet was drafted, everyone knew it was highly questionable not only because he lacked a love for the game, but because of his abilities on the court. He was slow-footed and offensively challenged. He was also an older player, which made many wonder how much he could grow.

Thabeet has very, very little in common with Wiseman as a prospect. Wiseman is much more like DeAndre Ayton.

And yet both outcomes are very much a possibility for Wiseman.  He could end up a star or a huge bust. He has some serious red flags as to his character and hasn't shown much court awareness.  But like I said, there's so little meaningful tape on him it's really hard to say, thus why his workouts and interviews are so important.

Lol. But that's just it. Thabeet was never going to become a star. You have provided no substantial evidence of character flaws that many, many other college players coming into the NBA don't also have. His court awareness is a question mark--I agree with you there.

[KGs Knee]

James Wiseman really does seem like the biggest unknown of the top prospects.

He looks like he has all the tools to be an elite big in the modern NBA but there is so little tape on him and the way his brief college season went raises more questions than it does provide answers. Teams are going to have to rely on his workouts and interviews much more than they usually would I suspect.

He could be the next DeAndre Ayton.  But if you pick him you better hope he isn't the next Hasheem Thabeet.

There are a lot of differences between James Wiseman and Hasheem Thabeet. Athleticism, offence, fluidity, etc. I don't think its right to compare any risky center with the biggest draft bust of all time.

I've argued that he is at least the prospect that DeAndre Ayton was at the same age, based on athleticism and skills. I see much more fluidity to his game too, similar to Anthony Davis. I'm not saying he will be that great, but I'm saying that his athleticism has a little bit of Davis to him.

He's a great prospect based on what we know of him. If interviews and references demonstrate character question marks, obviously that changes things, but I've not heard any of that.

I'd say the way his college experience played out is one huge red flag for possible character issues. The interviews can alleviate that, though, if he comes across as thoughtful and understanding of what will be asked of him at the NBA level.

And you're right he isn't the same player as Thabeet. But I do think they both share a similar lack of understanding of the finer points of the game of basketball, at least from afar. Could be wrong about that, though, there's just not a lot of tape out there on him against meaningful competition.

You do realize that he got caught with the same type of violations that Ayton committed, but wasn't caught for until after his freshman year, right? There is very little difference there.

Thabeet was a 22 year old junior when he was drafted into the NBA. Wiseman will be a 19 year old freshman. It took three full seasons for Thabeet to get to the point where he could score 14 ppg on 31 mpg. Wiseman has more offensive ability than that already.

When Thabeet was drafted, everyone knew it was highly questionable not only because he lacked a love for the game, but because of his abilities on the court. He was slow-footed and offensively challenged. He was also an older player, which made many wonder how much he could grow.

Thabeet has very, very little in common with Wiseman as a prospect. Wiseman is much more like DeAndre Ayton.

And yet both outcomes are very much a possibility for Wiseman.  He could end up a star or a huge bust. He has some serious red flags as to his character and hasn't shown much court awareness.  But like I said, there's so little meaningful tape on him it's really hard to say, thus why his workouts and interviews are so important.

Lol. But that's just it. Thabeet was never going to become a star. You have provided no substantial evidence of character flaws that many, many other college players coming into the NBA don't also have. His court awareness is a question mark--I agree with you there.

I'd say a guy that gets suspended and then quits his team is absolutely a red flag for character issues. If you disagree that's fine.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

James Wiseman really does seem like the biggest unknown of the top prospects.

He looks like he has all the tools to be an elite big in the modern NBA but there is so little tape on him and the way his brief college season went raises more questions than it does provide answers. Teams are going to have to rely on his workouts and interviews much more than they usually would I suspect.

He could be the next DeAndre Ayton.  But if you pick him you better hope he isn't the next Hasheem Thabeet.

There are a lot of differences between James Wiseman and Hasheem Thabeet. Athleticism, offence, fluidity, etc. I don't think its right to compare any risky center with the biggest draft bust of all time.

I've argued that he is at least the prospect that DeAndre Ayton was at the same age, based on athleticism and skills. I see much more fluidity to his game too, similar to Anthony Davis. I'm not saying he will be that great, but I'm saying that his athleticism has a little bit of Davis to him.

He's a great prospect based on what we know of him. If interviews and references demonstrate character question marks, obviously that changes things, but I've not heard any of that.

I'd say the way his college experience played out is one huge red flag for possible character issues. The interviews can alleviate that, though, if he comes across as thoughtful and understanding of what will be asked of him at the NBA level.

And you're right he isn't the same player as Thabeet. But I do think they both share a similar lack of understanding of the finer points of the game of basketball, at least from afar. Could be wrong about that, though, there's just not a lot of tape out there on him against meaningful competition.

You do realize that he got caught with the same type of violations that Ayton committed, but wasn't caught for until after his freshman year, right? There is very little difference there.

Thabeet was a 22 year old junior when he was drafted into the NBA. Wiseman will be a 19 year old freshman. It took three full seasons for Thabeet to get to the point where he could score 14 ppg on 31 mpg. Wiseman has more offensive ability than that already.

When Thabeet was drafted, everyone knew it was highly questionable not only because he lacked a love for the game, but because of his abilities on the court. He was slow-footed and offensively challenged. He was also an older player, which made many wonder how much he could grow.

Thabeet has very, very little in common with Wiseman as a prospect. Wiseman is much more like DeAndre Ayton.

And yet both outcomes are very much a possibility for Wiseman.  He could end up a star or a huge bust. He has some serious red flags as to his character and hasn't shown much court awareness.  But like I said, there's so little meaningful tape on him it's really hard to say, thus why his workouts and interviews are so important.

Lol. But that's just it. Thabeet was never going to become a star. You have provided no substantial evidence of character flaws that many, many other college players coming into the NBA don't also have. His court awareness is a question mark--I agree with you there.

I'd say a guy that gets suspended and then quits his team is absolutely a red flag for character issues. If you disagree that's fine.

Lol. He didn't get suspended. The NCAA ruled he was ineligible to play. When that happened, he made a good choice to invest more in his basketball skills to prepare for his ability to make millions and millions of dollars.

That kind of narrative-shaping and language is untruthful to what really happened.