James Wiseman

[EvanZ]

One thing about Wiseman, I dunno if it's the baby face or what, but he doesn't look huge when you see him in a picture by himself, just like a tall basketball player. When you see him with other players, his entire frame, body, head, everything just looks soooo giant. He's like a lot bigger than he looks, if that makes sense, and not just from a height standpoint. He almost looks photoshopped into some photos because his proportions look wrong.

I saw him a couple summers ago in person playing against other high school prospects (including Cole, Nico, Scottie Lewis, and a few others) at the Steph Curry camp in SF. People are not lying when they say his frame is impressive.

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[nolang1]

Yeah, when in doubt always take the wing over the center.

AD is as trascendal as they come and he never got out of the first round. Jokic is struggling in the post-season. Embiid just go swept. You take the 6'7/6'8 wing with scoring and creation potential 10/10 times if your team sucks.

I'm on the "suns should get more fire for passing on Doncic than they get" boat.

You realize that even if the talent in the league were distributed so evenly that a team's ability to advance in the postseason was dictated solely by how good their best player was, only the 8 best players in the league would get out of the first round each year. AD did in fact get out of the first round in 2018 (then his team lost to the Warriors, what a bum I guess). Jokic got out of the first round last season, and Embiid got out of the first round the two seasons prior. Horrible, horrible examples all around, and that's before even getting into what one would have to be smoking to think that anyone in this draft is even close to Doncic.

[Klomp]

I've been seeing a lot of "Wiseman is a center so Minnesota won't consider him" comments around the interwebs (Vecenie being the latest today), and I feel like it's doing a disservice to Wiseman in some ways. Even later in the article, Vecenie calls Okongwu "the kind of rim-running, defensive big man that could play both next to Towns in lineups, as well as behind him as a backup center", but isn't that also describing Wiseman to a T?

[Revenged25]

I've been seeing a lot of "Wiseman is a center so Minnesota won't consider him" comments around the interwebs (Vecenie being the latest today), and I feel like it's doing a disservice to Wiseman in some ways. Even later in the article, Vecenie calls Okongwu "the kind of rim-running, defensive big man that could play both next to Towns in lineups, as well as behind him as a backup center", but isn't that also describing Wiseman to a T?

I think the difference is that they feel Okongwu could guard multiple positions, including on the perimeter if needed, as well as being a more natural shot blocker than Wiseman. Wiseman is probably more limited in the number of positions he can defend.

[No-Man]

I don't think Okongwu can actually hang in the perimeter full time, but Wiseman def can't, he gets burned, he is a drop back big, maybe he will be able to hedge some in time, but no chance at anything else

This talk about him being some sort of big Forward is pure comedy

[Stillwater]

Wiseman is very raw defensively compared to big O. I mean you would have to not understand the reads at all to not see that to be true. The problem is orgs will see Wiseman as a the higher ceiling prospect because of his elite length and being a true 7'er.
Most seem to think WIseman has a decent upside offensively but he is a rim runner center only prospect right now. Okongwu is more versatile

[King Ken]

I don't think Okongwu can actually hang in the perimeter full time, but Wiseman def can't, he gets burned, he is a drop back big, maybe he will be able to hedge some in time, but no chance at anything else

This talk about him being some sort of big Forward is pure comedy

The people that love Wiseman haven't really watched him is general what I notice

[MemphisX]

I don't think Okongwu can actually hang in the perimeter full time, but Wiseman def can't, he gets burned, he is a drop back big, maybe he will be able to hedge some in time, but no chance at anything else

This talk about him being some sort of big Forward is pure comedy

Folks have taken Okongwu's similarity to Bam and just made him the same type of player. I like him but I would be shocked if he is better than Wiseman in the NBA.

[King Ken]

Wiseman is very raw defensively compared to big O. I mean you would have to not understand the reads at all to not see that to be true. The problem is orgs will see Wiseman as a the higher ceiling prospect because of his elite length and being a true 7'er.
Most seem to think WIseman has a decent upside offensively but he is a rim runner center only prospect right now. Okongwu is more versatile

For me as someone who watched him in his HS season and AAU as well as Memphis. He really is an underwhelming player. Yes, he does look smooth with the ball for his height and he is straight line amazing with speed with NBA ready weight and height but he's so raw in so many aspects of modern NBA game. He even tries to play it but he's bad at it. People think he is David Robinson when in reality he's like a rich man's JaVale McGee due to having a better body and a lot more natural skill but even McGee had more explosiveness and less load.

His shooting really will need to translate before he can become a Boogie Cousins type scoring big. Defensively, he's like Hassan Whiteside and while that's not a terrible thing, it's not a particularly good thing either.

He will be an interesting case. Usually you bet on these guys but Bamba and Bagley have shown these things might never get their goal even if they are tremendously gifted in many ways. The hope for any team that gets him is he becomes Gobert but Gobert feel for the game translated, he just needed time to work on his body. American bigs seem like they lack that skill. I honestly liked Jaxson Hayes more as a prospect. His skill-set is just more projectable. Too much guessing to do with Wiseman. That said, he is 7' 245 and that does count for something as guys are rarely NBA ready physically at this position like he is but outside of rebounding, what exactly is his elite skill?

I honestly think his best case scenario is to go to a situation where he can develop behind a starter and in three to four years, he could be a surprise like Bam Adebayo where he's good at things that's hard to project out the gate.

[King Ken]

I don't think Okongwu can actually hang in the perimeter full time, but Wiseman def can't, he gets burned, he is a drop back big, maybe he will be able to hedge some in time, but no chance at anything else

This talk about him being some sort of big Forward is pure comedy

Folks have taken Okongwu's similarity to Bam and just made him the same type of player. I like him but I would be shocked if he is better than Wiseman in the NBA.

I honestly think that's an unfair statement. Big O is clearly a better Basketball player than Wiseman and been so. I would say that out of all of the top centers in this draft, Wiseman is the worse player of the bunch. The difference is potential, its impossible not to see Wiseman potential. That said, Big O comparison to Bam is overstated. Bam shows more movement activity than Bam ever showed. Big O also never flashed the style of play we see from Bam on any level, Bam flashed this style of play in AAU. Big O has always been this high energy PnR big man like a big ass John Collins without super pop. Big O is a much better passer as a prospect than Bam but Bam has lead initiator skills, Big O has target passing skills which is valuable if he can develop it on the perimeter.

Big O is just a lot more projectable. He projects to be Al Horford-lite with the scoring instincts of Karl Malone. Not to say he will score like him in the modern NBA, that's not possible anymore but he will score. Likely in the 20-22ppg range

I would clearly take him over Wiseman.

[getrichordie]

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[Roddy B for 3]

I don't think Okongwu can actually hang in the perimeter full time, but Wiseman def can't, he gets burned, he is a drop back big, maybe he will be able to hedge some in time, but no chance at anything else

This talk about him being some sort of big Forward is pure comedy

Folks have taken Okongwu's similarity to Bam and just made him the same type of player. I like him but I would be shocked if he is better than Wiseman in the NBA.

I honestly think that's an unfair statement. Big O is clearly a better Basketball player than Wiseman and been so. I would say that out of all of the top centers in this draft, Wiseman is the worse player of the bunch. The difference is potential, its impossible not to see Wiseman potential. That said, Big O comparison to Bam is overstated. Bam shows more movement activity than Bam ever showed. Big O also never flashed the style of play we see from Bam on any level, Bam flashed this style of play in AAU. Big O has always been this high energy PnR big man like a big ass John Collins without super pop. Big O is a much better passer as a prospect than Bam but Bam has lead initiator skills, Big O has target passing skills which is valuable if he can develop it on the perimeter.

Big O is just a lot more projectable. He projects to be Al Horford-lite with the scoring instincts of Karl Malone. Not to say he will score like him in the modern NBA, that's not possible anymore but he will score. Likely in the 20-22ppg range

I would clearly take him over Wiseman.

So you basically, barring injury, project Onyeka as a "likely" HOF player.

Because if you project him to contend for All-defense (like most of his biggest fans) and you expect "likey 20-22" ppg. Barring injury that's an HOF projection.

[Catchall]

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?s=21

Nice move. He traveled though.

[King Ken]

Folks have taken Okongwu's similarity to Bam and just made him the same type of player. I like him but I would be shocked if he is better than Wiseman in the NBA.

I honestly think that's an unfair statement. Big O is clearly a better Basketball player than Wiseman and been so. I would say that out of all of the top centers in this draft, Wiseman is the worse player of the bunch. The difference is potential, its impossible not to see Wiseman potential. That said, Big O comparison to Bam is overstated. Bam shows more movement activity than Bam ever showed. Big O also never flashed the style of play we see from Bam on any level, Bam flashed this style of play in AAU. Big O has always been this high energy PnR big man like a big ass John Collins without super pop. Big O is a much better passer as a prospect than Bam but Bam has lead initiator skills, Big O has target passing skills which is valuable if he can develop it on the perimeter.

Big O is just a lot more projectable. He projects to be Al Horford-lite with the scoring instincts of Karl Malone. Not to say he will score like him in the modern NBA, that's not possible anymore but he will score. Likely in the 20-22ppg range

I would clearly take him over Wiseman.

So you basically, barring injury, project Onyeka as a "likely" HOF player.

Because if you project him to contend for All-defense (like most of his biggest fans) and you expect "likey 20-22" ppg. Barring injury that's an HOF projection.

Centers need a lot of personnel and coaching help. Luck plays a massive role in their development.

There is the possibility that Okongwu can become an HOF one day but so much will depend on everything around him.

[getrichordie]

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?s=21

Nice move. He traveled though.

No he didn't.

[Midw35t]

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?s=21

Nice move. He traveled though.

No he didn't.

Definitely did not. Not even close.

[Roddy B for 3]

Imagine if he spent 40+ hours a week developing a skyhook...

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

What’s the difference between Wiseman and Davis coming out of college?

Biggest difference is that Wiseman isn't really coming out of college. He is coming out of high school.

Anthony Davis was more ready to play in the NBA and was a guaranteed non-bust.
Wiseman might be a bust.

Davis was a better athlete. Wiseman is bigger than Davis was. Wiseman is athletic for his size.
Wiseman might not be as determined to beat the competition as you would want. You can't really tell.

Those brothers where the older one will be in next year's draft made Wiseman's reactions look slow. But that kid who's name I can't remember is going to be a beast in the NBA.

I don't think there is anybody worthy of being a top 4 pick in this draft so teams might as well gamble on Wiseman.

This idea that you take off guards over centers is opposite of the thinking decades ago. All it takes is one great center to change that thinking that you take guards over centers.

[Nazrmohamed]

Yeah, when in doubt always take the wing over the center.

AD is as trascendal as they come and he never got out of the first round. Jokic is struggling in the post-season. Embiid just go swept. You take the 6'7/6'8 wing with scoring and creation potential 10/10 times if your team sucks.

I'm on the "suns should get more fire for passing on Doncic than they get" boat.

You realize that even if the talent in the league were distributed so evenly that a team's ability to advance in the postseason was dictated solely by how good their best player was, only the 8 best players in the league would get out of the first round each year. AD did in fact get out of the first round in 2018 (then his team lost to the Warriors, what a bum I guess). Jokic got out of the first round last season, and Embiid got out of the first round the two seasons prior. Horrible, horrible examples all around, and that's before even getting into what one would have to be smoking to think that anyone in this draft is even close to Doncic.

Yeah but hes supposed to be a top 8 player. Those yrs I mean. The NO Pelicans weren't lacking in talent. And I think that's what he meant when he said transcendent. He never denied his ability, moreso the ability of coaches or teams nowadays to build a franchise around a big man, which really is a shame of today's basketball. You're more likely to win as a big by submitting to being a role player.

But hey, he won this yr and for the first time in my life I watched Lebron defer to a bigman from a statistical stand point.

[Stillwater]

I am thinking the Wiseman love is smoke right now to try to get somebody to trade up into 1 or 2 spot