James Wiseman finally made his debut with the Detroit Pistons earlier this week.
He came off the bench for 11 points and 5 rebounds as Detroit fell to the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics. It was a quick preview of what is to come as the NBA All-Star break has arrived and the Pistons are off until Thursday. The crew at DBB gave their first thoughts on Wiseman’s debut.
1. James Wiseman made his debut against the Celtics on Wednesday. What were your thoughts on his first run with the Pistons?
Brady Fredericksen: I was pleasantly surprised. He wasn’t anything special, but for a guy who had one practice with the team, he handled himself well. Aside from his first shot attempt — an ill-advised three that screamed I’m-anxious-to-take-my-first-shot — I thought he was fine. I went more into detail here, but when it comes to protecting the paint, he showed that he knew how to use his size to impede the easy stuff. He occupied space at the rim and used his size a bunch to blow up plays that, normally, are easy buckets vs this team.
Justin Lambregtse: I was decently impressed. He looked a bit lost at first, which is to be expected, but he had some solid defensive possessions later in the game. I am more focused on his defense than offense because I don’t think the worry with him was ever his offense.
Ben Quagliata: Overall his first run was promising. After subjecting myself to watching all of his defensive film (go read that film study if you haven’t, would humbly recommend), I was looking mainly to see how he went on that end of the floor. There were obvious moments of defensive cluelessness, which was expected, but overall I thought his activity was good. Offensively, he was a bit shot happy but I put that down to being keen to make an impression. He could do with being a bit meaner on screens rather than slipping too quickly, especially as he isn’t a pop threat yet.
2. What do you hope to see from the coaching staff as it pertains to putting Wiseman in spots where he can not only be successful, but learn over the final stretch?
Brady Fredericksen: Just let him play. Put him on the floor. Put him in positions that make him uncomfortable and let him learn. See how he fits with Jalen Duren and Isaiah S I think he needs to be on the floor with one of Jaden Ivey or Killian Hayes at all times, too. He’ll not only make life easier on them as a vertical spacer and roll man, but he’ll get easier looks than he will with the likes of CoJo and Alec Burks. Just let him play.
Justin Lambregtse: I hope the coaching staff keeps him coming off the bench and doesn’t try to do something dumb like starting him and Jalen Duren or playing him and Bagley together (that might be inevitable once he returns from injury). Just give him a solid dose of minutes off the bench as the center and let him play through mistakes and figure some things out.
Ben Quagliata: I would personally like to see Wiseman’s minutes overlap a lot with Killian, as a pass first point guard who is a plus on the defensive end as it pertains to fighting through screens and not leave Wiseman on an island. I’d also like to see how he works with someone like Stewart, especially now Stewart’s three-point shot appears to be returning.
3. What can Wiseman do down the stretch to prove that he’s capable of being a rotation piece next season?
Brady Fredericksen: Find his niche. He doesn’t have to go out there and be a 20-and-10 guy to do that. He’s a big body with good athleticism. We know he can score, so as long as he can prove that he’s not a negative on defense, he’ll keep Marvin Bagley out of the rotation. The real key, I think, is whether he and Jalen Duren can be productive on the floor together.
Justin Lambregtse: He just needs to show that he won’t get completely played off the court on defense. I said it above, but he can score when given touches on offense, but his issue in Golden State and why he didn’t play was because he couldn’t be trusted as a team defender. The Pistons aren’t good defensively and that will definitely cause some issues with him to begin with, but if he can show some flashes on defense I think he can be relied on as a rotation player on a more compatible Pistons team.
Ben Quagliata: Honestly, just compete and improve on defense. I’m not expecting much in the way of actual winning basketball, that would be unfair given the situation he’s come from, but him showing to be a competitive presence on D, and a vertical roll threat on offense who can hit the midrange shot.
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As always, let us know what you think in the comments:
1. James Wiseman made his debut against the Celtics on Wednesday. What were your thoughts on his first run with the Pistons?
2. What do you hope to see from the coaching staff as it pertains to putting Wiseman in spots where he can not only be successful, but learn over the final stretch?
3. What can Wiseman do down the stretch to prove that he’s capable of being a rotation piece next season?