OKC Thunder: NBA Draft big board 2.0 – Top 30 prospects

James Wiseman, C, 7’1, 245 pounds, 18 years old

I will be honest, James Wiseman as a prospect scares me. he has all the talent and all the tools to be a great player in the NBA. Even in basketball’s current state of small ball and stretch big men, Wiseman has the talent.

Outside of the unnecessary NCAA recruiting scandal, the red flag on Wiseman is his work ethic. Throughout High School, and his short college stint, he has lacked effort and focus on the floor at times.

You could relate that to the lackluster competition that Wiseman faced, however, as I said about Edwards few players have had this knock on them shake it off once they get to the NBA.

The big man is an elite rebounder and shot-blocker which is why his defensive upside is through the roof. His ability to swat shots sometimes gets him in trouble, falling for pump fakes leading to unnecessary fouls. That is a trait that will get exploited by NBA players.

Wiseman is not switchable and can be picked apart in pick and roll situations. Beyond that, offensively he will not be able to stretch the floor, especially from beyond the arc.

The way he battles for rebounds, and rolls to the rim, Wiseman can still be used effectively on the offensive end. Being able to get physical down low and secure the boards at a high clip is a trait that young prospects rarely posses entering the league, so that puts him at the top of the charts for teams needing a big.

For my money, Wiseman is the best rim roller in the draft, his basketball IQ and strength tell me he has a ton of post potential when it comes to backing down fellow bigs.

The lack of a predraft process could hurt Wiseman the most. He only played three college games and could use private workouts to bolster his NBA Draft stock.

Despite his long-range shortcomings, Wiseman has a beautiful shooting stroke for a big man, the shots just do not fall. That leaves the potential for him to at least develop a midrange game.