The top overall rated 2019 high school prospect in the nation has an old school skill set that many are comparing to the recently acquired Los Angeles Lakers superstar big man Anthony Davis. That is a pretty favorable comparison for the Memphis Tigers five-star signee center James Wiseman with the skill set he showed by now.
Wiseman could pretty easily look like the top NBA prospect in college basketball this season and not be the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft. He just has that old school game that grinds it out down in the paint. That isn’t as much of a desired skill set for most NBA franchises as it was two decades ago.
But if Wiseman can work on adding more utility to his defensive game while improving his offensive arsenal under Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway, he could dramatically increase his draft stock. There’s no way to discount the ceiling Wiseman has, but all we have to work off now is what he showed through the end of his high school hoops run.
Through the end of his high school basketball career, Wiseman did start to develop a solid mid-range game and a much better jump shot. Can that range go all the way beyond the arc?
If he can, then Wiseman would prove that he could be a do-it-all talent that can maximize his athletic 7-foot height and 7-foot-6 wingspan that could make NBA scouts drool. There’s a lot to like about what Wiseman brings to the table for the Chicago Bulls if they climb up the lottery.