There was little doubt going on when the Warriors handed out the card for James Wiseman’s draft with overall choice No. 2 in the NBA 2020 Draft, leaving LaMelo Ball to go No. 3 for the Charlotte Hornets.
Wiseman had a chance to be a transcendent talent at the center. He is young and raw at 19, but the Warriors believed he was the best player in the draft and that the torch bearers of their culture – Steph Curry, Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr – would help him reach his high ceiling.
Ball’s advantage has always been evident. He had the ability to be a dynamic gunner. But he was inefficient when playing with the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks. His court view and passing ability are out of this world, but his changes have been worrying. Some scouts believed that his shot would have to be redone and his lack of defensive intensity would be a problem at the NBA level. Many saw Ball as the biggest prospect of recruitment expansion and breakdown, and the Warriors felt no need to bet on him.
Well, here we are in February, with only 24 games in the NBA season and Ball is, well, playing ball and the doubts about whether the Warriors made the right decision are starting in some circles.
The Hornets rookie has an average of 14.2 points, 6.2 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 43.3 percent of the field and 36.3 percent from the 3-point interval. But Ball has been even better in the last five games, averaging 22.6 points per game since the Hornets put him in the starting lineup. He is currently in the top 10 in percentage of assists and concerns about his kick out seem to be exaggerated, as was evident on Monday night when he set Houston Rockets on fire for 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds while hitting seven points out of 3.
Ball’s performance against the Rockets put him in elite company. He joined Steph Curry and Jason Kidd as the only newcomers to score seven points out of 3 in one game and joined LeBron James and Luka Doncic as the only players aged 19 and under to score multiple games from 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. He also became the youngest player in NBA history to score 20 points, distribute 10 assists and hit five points out of 3.
Now, Ball is far from perfect and still has a long way to go. While he hit seven triples against the Rockets, Ball went 0-to-6 inside the arc. He had ups and downs in that area to start his career. While he is shooting 54.5 percent in the restricted area, he is shooting only 35 percent in all other 2-point attempts.
Ball’s ability to take down kicks will cause defenses to protect him first as a top scorer and further open the ground for him to show his passing ability.
Ball has been great in 25 games, and I don’t think it’s a question of him being the NBA rookie of the year at the moment.
All of this may be true, and it is, but does that mean that the Warriors made the wrong decision? Not in the moment.
Wiseman has been everything they thought he would be from the beginning. He gave the Warriors an athletic center they didn’t have with Curry before. He has been impressive when out on the open court and has even shown the ability to knock 3 points (9 out of 22) from the start.
It is important to remember that Wiseman played only three games while in Memphis, so he is still incredibly young in his basketball life. Adding to the 20 games he played for the Warriors and Wiseman has taken up the competition 23 times since graduating from high school. The fact that Wiseman has an average of 12.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, while shooting 50.1 percent of the field shows the insane amount of talent he has.
He’s there and bubbles every few games, showing why the Warriors were dizzy, he fell for them at No. 2. But it will also take time for Wiseman to become the player that many expect him to be. That’s why Kerr made a point of moderating expectations ahead of the season, telling fans to think of Wiseman not as Hall of Fame member David Robinson, but as the center of the Navy David Robinson.
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All players develop on different trajectories. It is no surprise that Ball behaved well. It is surprising that his shot was not a big problem, but there was always the possibility that he was a star.
The Warriors knew this and easily accepted a player who they believe has generational talent.
There are still infinite possibilities for what Ball will become in the NBA, and it will take years to determine whether the Warriors made the right decision by passing it on to him. How Wiseman develops and what caliber of player he becomes will be the determining factor in what will be a debate of five to ten years.
Until their path in the NBA is clear, the jury will not be able to issue a verdict on the Warriors’ Wiseman-Ball decision.
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