NBA Draft 2020: Matching top prospects with needs of top lottery teams
By Tim Edmonds
Golden State Warriors: Interior Presence — F/C James Wiseman, Memphis
How the mighty have fallen. Projected to pick #1 overall after making five straight NBA Finals and winning three of them, the Warriors have a unique chance to reload their roster with a premium collegiate talent.
Many pundits expect the Dubs to approach this draft with the best player available approach, however, with two of the greatest scorers in the NBA patrolling their backcourt, they’d be foolish to select a guard and not add frontcourt help under a rookie scale contract.
The Warriors have long had eyes on one prospect in this draft that fits their roster and timetable perfectly, and that’s former Memphis forward James Wiseman.
A prototypical big man for the modern NBA, Wiseman has the potential to be a multiple-time All-Star and All-NBA finisher if employed in the right system. A skilled shooter, excellent rebounder, and built with a 7’1 frame and wingspan, Wiseman has all the tools to blossom into the NBA’s next star big man.
The Warriors could hand Wiseman plenty of minutes immediately, helping their spacing and running pick and rolls through his excellent athleticism. And while he’d definitely take time to adapt to the NBA, the Warriors and coach Steve Kerr’s system will afford him plenty of chances to learn on the fly and make an impact when it matters most for them — in next season’s NBA Playoffs contending for another championship.