Memphis Basketball: Overall impact of James Wiseman leaving to go pro

What’s next for James Wiseman?

The answer to the question of James Wiseman‘s future is quite simple. Barring any major issues from Wiseman’s party or a giant leap from another prospect, he will likely be a Top-4 pick in the NBA Draft at the very list. Most draft analysts have him that range, in the same tier as Anthony Edwards, Cole Anthony and LaMelo Ball.

It seemed fairly possible that due to Ball and Anthony’s injuries and Edwards’ inconsistent play on a struggling team, Wiseman could have leapfrogged the back and gone number one. Still, if a team like the Golden State Warriors were to have the #1 selection, they would be hard-pressed to pass up on Wiseman, considering the guards the already have.

Thus, it seems like Wiseman’s draft stock will have little to no impact in the grand scheme of things. If anything, it could help him perfect a mid-range jumper that was coming along, or help his lateral quickness on switches, providing him even better defensive upside. Most of this work will be done behind closed doors however, assuming Wiseman follows the conventional approach and does not compete at the NBA Combine.

Before this season, some scouts were iffy on the effectiveness of Wiseman down the line. Although strong performances against South Carolina State and Illinois-Chicago didn’t quite move the needle competition-wise, in a year where few players have improved their stock dramatically, Wiseman should be just fine moving forward.