Memphis | C | Freshman
Height: 7'1"
Weight: 245 lbs
Wingspan: 7'6"'
Shades of: Hassan Whiteside, Andre Drummond
Projected Draft Range: 1-3
Big Board Ranking: N/A
Wiseman provides elite vertical spacing due to his explosive leaping ability and enormous reach. Wiseman is a lob threat at all times who gets off the ground quickly and is capable of playing well above the rim. In the pick and roll, Wiseman makes sets strong and decisive screens and there aren't many passes he can't catch when rolling to the rim. Wiseman is also great at establishing his position in the paint and pivoting into position to explode upwards. For a 7'1" big, Wiseman possesses impressive speed and is a fluid athlete. Wiseman uses his long strides and plus-speed to get out in front of the pack in transition and does an excellent job of filling lanes. These factors make him a threatening offensive option in transition.
Wiseman's aforementioned physical tools contribute towards his rebounding prowess. With his length, agility, and leaping ability, Wiseman is more often than not able to win the rebound battle in traffic but also able to chase rebounds down and rebound outside of his area. Wiseman shows excellent technique boxing out and prioritising getting a body on the nearest opponent. He has a high motor on offensive boards and this combined with his size, athleticism and technique should make him a consistent double-digit rebounder at the next level given the minutes.
Wiseman looks the part of a top-tier weakside shot blocker. With a 9'4" standing reach, Wiseman is excellent at swatting shots around the rim at their apex. He shows high-level shot-blocking instincts particularly on the weakside in which he has good defensive awareness as a rotator. He has also shown some patience as a shot-blocker, albeit in glimpses. Wiseman showcases intriguing defensive mobility for a 7-footer. Wiseman is able to cover a lot of ground with his reach and plus-lateral quickness given his size and has solid lateral footwork. He also has solid technique when closing out. This sort of mobility gives Wiseman some interesting switchability upside from an athletic standpoint.
In a guard-centric league, Wiseman's developing perimeter-oriented skills provide fascinating upside. Wiseman has a nice touch on his fadeaway shot from the post and looks like he'll be a capable player from 15-20 feet out at the next level. Despite not having a single three-point make at Memphis, his mechanics are solid and he could potentially stretch his game out to behind the arc. Wiseman's 70% (19/27) from the free throw line is an encouraging indicator for such future development. While not a staple of his game and likely never to be, his improvements as a passer on the move and making such reads are promising.
Turnoffs:
Much like other young big men, Wiseman is still rather jumpy as a shot-blocker and bites on pump fakes more often than he should. While not a huge knock and off an egregiously small sample size, if these habits don't change he could find himself dealing with foul trouble more often than not.
While his physical tools and athleticism suggest that he could be an effective defender in space, his on-court performance at times has suggested otherwise. Wiseman is still learning to defend the pick and roll in terms of his positioning. Wiseman currently tends to waver between overextending and giving the guard on the switch too much space to shoot. This is something that Wiseman does need to address moving forward.
A common criticism during his high school days was his infatuation with shooting jump shots. It's not clear whether those tendencies still exist to the same extent due to his limited time at Memphis but there were a couple of occasions during his three-game stint in which they reappeared. Wiseman has a tendency to settle for mid-range jumpers rather than use his physical tools to get to the rim. In the meantime, while he isn't necessarily a plus-shooter, this tendency is concerning.
Aside from lobs, putbacks and catch-and-finish opportunities, Wiseman hasn't shown any real or consistent ability to create his own shot. In the post, Wiseman doesn't have much polish outside of his go-to fadeaway shot. He lacks in any countermoves for when the defense contests his fadeaway and doesn't look to be a source of offense at the next level.
NBA Outlook:
Wiseman is a relatively high-floor prospect due to his NBA ready physical tools and translatable NBA skills. Straight off the bat, Wiseman should be able to contribute as an above-average rim protector and one of the league's premier rebounders on a rookie deal.
Due to the way in which the draft lottery panned out, come draft night Wiseman could find himself on either a rebuilding team such as Charlotte Hornets or a championship contender like the Golden State Warriors. The landing situation for Wiseman could play a key role in his development as an offensive player. On a team that is still searching for corner pieces, Wiseman could take on a higher usage early on and be given more in-game opportunities to create for himself. On the other hand, for the Warriors, Wiseman would likely have a minimised role and be asked to contribute in key areas thus giving him fewer chances to work on his personal creation skills early on.
Building upon both his offensive and defensive versatility will be key to Wiseman establishing himself as a top-tier center in the league and worthy of playing in late-game situations as the league shifts towards small-ball. On the offensive end, developing into a legitimate three-point shooter and being able to pick-and-pop will be key to opening up his game and making him more of a genuine scoring option. Defensively, Wiseman will need to further improve his positioning and awareness when defending in space to become more viable in late-game situations.
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