Timberwolves draft profile: James Wiseman

Winter is approaching and the days are getting shorter. That means the 2020 NBA season is almost here!

Due to the redone 2020 season schedule, the NBA draft will be held Nov. 18 while the 2020-21 season will begin Dec. 22.

The Minnesota Timberwolves own two picks in the first round: the top overall selection as well as No. 17. Who might they be interested in at No. 17?

In this edition, we take a look at Memphis center James Wiseman.

OVERVIEW

Wiseman is from Nashville and went to The Ensworth School before attending Memphis East High School in 2017, where he was coached by Penny Hardaway for one season. The 7-foot-1 center was widely considered a five-star recruit and was ranked the top player in the 2019 class by 247 Sports. Wiseman highlighted the 2019 McDonald’s All-American Game and finished with 13 points and six boards.

He averaged 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds on 76.9% shooting in the three games he played for the Tigers. After Wiseman played those games, he was suspended by the NCAA because Hardaway gave his family money to help with moving expenses when he was switching high schools. While serving the suspension, Wiseman declared for the NBA draft and ended his college career.

COMBINE

Wiseman skipped the combine.

MEASURABLES

Height: 7-foot-1

Weight: 235 pounds

Wingspan: 7-6

Standing reach: 9-3 1/2

FILM ROOM

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

 “His natural tools make him a low-floor type prospect. He will provide value as a roll man and, to some degree, as a shot blocker. His ceiling is comparatively high for the same reasons. That type of prospect is obviously appealing in a draft full of question marks..” – HoopsHabit.com

“Wiseman has been a highly discussed prospect dating back to 2017 when he emerged on the high school scene … He is a prospect with some clearly defined strengths that hold value in the current NBA (rim running, defense, rebounding) and some truly special physical attributes … He also has some things he needs to work on (strength, offensive polish, overall basketball IQ) … There is also the fact that he has such limited college hoops film that it makes evaluating his progression as a prospect during the conference slate and NCAA tournament impossible, and those are critical samples when scouting … If he’s in a situation where a team allows him to play off of his teammates spacing on offense, and allows him to patrol the paint and block shots then he will be set up for success … Some teams may want more, particularly if he’s selected in the top 3, but he definitely has the tools to find success and even make an immediate impact.” – Jorrye Nixon, NBADraft.net

HOW HE FITS

Unlike LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards, there is not an easy fit for Wiseman on the Timberwolves roster, unless Karl-Anthony Towns gets traded but that does not seem like a real possibility. Minnesota picked up its franchise center when it used the top pick to select Towns in 2015, so if the Wolves did draft Wiseman, they could move him to power forward and go with a Twin Towers type look. Wiseman is athletic enough to step in on defense and possesses offensive skills around the rim and can knock down a mid-range shot. His 3-point shooting can improve but that can be said about almost all centers.