One day, near the middle of the season, the champion architect from the Bahian dynasty Steve Kerr visualize warriors from the future. And specifically stop at one of the boys he’s most excited about. And his eyes shine with conviction.

“We have to adapt to the characteristics of young people, but we want the idea of ​​the game to be the same. James Wiseman He can dominate as a defensive center and provides a presence block shot.In recent years we draymond green and Kevin Rooney Great switching defense. In the future, it will be a team that defends with a “drop” (another way for the center to directly defend against blocks) with Wiseman as the defensive anchor.

Despite coming and going with his team G League, Steve Kerr announced in December that he and James Weisman had a famous 2nd overall draft pick in 2020 Everyone wondered, not just San Francisco.

And while two months is a long time in the NBA, nowhere in the world is the present quickly becoming the past. 22 years old The biggest envy of youngsters in the prime of their NBA life, he was one of the people chosen to build the future of the most successful team of the past decade. piston. From champions to the worst teams in the entire leagueLike someone who has everything one day and nothing the next.

“The best thing is that I can keep playing and I feel blessed to have that.”

James Wiseman

In the NBA, even the prettiest numbers (draft numbers) quickly turn into numbers, so it’s literally a matter of numbers when it comes to Wiseman.The direct financial benefits of moving him are far more attractive – his salary was supposed to be paid by the Warriors 7 million luxury tax Than patiently wait until 30 o’clock this year and next year for the development process of the players. They would say there are people who say no to instant money. A champion overwhelmed by haste.

“I just accept this journey, it’s life”, and surprisingly naturally answers the main points of the conversation with the MD. “It’s been a great process. I’ve had my ups and downs. Just leaving it behind, the best thing is having the opportunity to keep playing and feeling blessed with it,” said James Wiseman. It concludes with a moving first reflection.

What happened in his 22 years, the wind robbed him of continued promise in the Gulf, from a team everyone admires that is almost a laughing stock – the Pistons have finished their course A dismal 17-65 record-, Weisman had already had a blank year – last season – due to a meniscus injury that hampered his progress, so he can complain, and even has the right to rant about everything.

But not a single bad word against anything or anyone. His performance in Detroit reflects an ambitious, impeccable and admirable attitude, despite the fact that the Michigan team’s situation has been disappointing and disappointing this season. It was done. 12.7 points and 8 rebounds in 25 minutes His shooting percentage from the field is 53%.

You can already feel something special about him at first glance. It’s the only one in his locker room and the one most people in the NBA have. a book I don’t have my phone in my hands as I’m waiting for game time to come after filming.during the recovery of his long injuryHe recorded his emotions in a personal diary. “I have faced a lot of adversity and it has made me stronger as a person. It took me a lot of patience. It also describes the interior of the state. 2.13.

“I have faced many adversities in my life.”

James Wiseman

It is inspired by the bible and books kobe ​​bryant According to the Carter Brooks account on the Impactus portal, “The Mamba Mentality” Kevin Garnettlike him, was the first player to arrive in the NBA and land in the American League without playing for any college. doing.

It wasn’t easy for Wiseman in college, as he only managed to play three games at the University of Memphis. The NCAA said his coach Penny Hardaway He paid his mother $11,500 to help the family move to Memphis and banned him for 12 games. However, the center decided not to play again in preparation for the draft, and he was named on June 2, 2020. Anthony EdwardsAccording to an NBC Sports article, the back of the shirt he wore during draft training read, “Always believe.”

In an era where you can live without a pure center in this dizzying NBA of lightning possessions and abundant triples, James Wiseman size, wingspan, agility, An intimidating presence in the paint, incredible leaps, an innate knack for blocking, an astonishing quickness and graceful pace that defines transitions, and jump shot potential as an unusual and exotic big man draw.

The man with the plant tried to measure without keeping the Golden State Warriors and the elderly onlookers waiting11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1 block in 21.4 minutes Bay Area franchise owner Joe Lacob had a 52% shooting percentage from the field in his “rookie” year, which he considered “a generational talent.”

his meniscus tears That means a sudden break in his evolution and a swoop in some Warriors who still seem to be waiting for him, with a team eager to win another title in ‘Old Guards’. , was very difficult to find the balance between patience to start… rebuilding time.

“We may very much regret stabbing him.”

Joe LacobWarriors owner

Triple is a game that has yet to be developed and can be improved in post, so his shortfall is defensive consistencyhas difficulty moving laterally, is slow to maintain change with ‘smaller’ perimeter, and even suffers from ‘pick and roll’ coverage on ‘drop’ – blocker defender tries to cover once Penetrate and continue – Slow to defend “Roll”, sometimes too instinctive and too fast to block, which made him Fall into a feint or charge fault. He had 7 points, 6 rebounds and 56% shooting percentage in 19 minutes on this course.

Steve Kerr sent him to a G League team this season to give him the time and space to improve that he didn’t get with the Warriors, trust him and see him improve. But as realistic as it could be, the Warriors got tired of waiting for him and prioritized his relief. excessive wage bills, It’s now over $450 million next year. “The transfer was basically due to his lack of experience and our position as an organization trying to win titles,” the coach justified.

But it didn’t take long for Golden State to regret missing center.

“It’s so hard, so hard. We may regret it a lot in the long and medium term,” he lamented in an interview with “The Athletic.” Lacob Only 3 weeks after transfer.

“But as much as I love this kid, he couldn’t stand against our basketball operations and felt that our coaches and players were right.” was very expensive, we couldn’t afford to pay the contractJames is a really good player and you’ll never get another chance to draft someone like him. Honestly, he didn’t get the chance, partly because of him, and partly because of us for not letting him play enough.

But when Wiseman asks about it, his skin has already turned so hard that he is deaf. Don’t look to the past, just look ahead and do what you have to do to do the best you can,’ replied Center, still confident he can succeed. a kind of limbo He’s now on the wicker team, but is in permanent construction, hasn’t been to the playoffs for four years, and hasn’t made it past the first round for 15 years. I recently quit coaching. Dwayne Casey And with his rookie contract expiring in 2024, he’s eligible for a rookie extension this summer.

“What if I think about my future here? It’s hard to say. Right now I’m only thinking about basketball, which I love. ,” points out James Wiseman. 13 yearsshe had to learn to cook and clean so she wouldn’t have to do anything when her parents got home.

“We are a rebuilding team, He’s just looking for opportunities to play.” Dwayne Casey stood out for center in his final days as Pistons coach.

“We presented it as a platform for him to play. He didn’t have many minutes with the Warriors behind. draymond green He knows he’s gone to a team that can succeed in the future, even if it takes time. He’s a sponge and apart from the paint he can improve on, we’re growing him on the perimeter so he can play ‘4’ as well. ”

Weisman is confident he can succeed in the NBA, even though he’s currently in Detroit.

If Wiseman hasn’t reached the level he should have, it’s probably not because of his morbid passion for work, the track, or the gym he sweats in quietly. high school while his friends enjoy their nightly revelry. Because he was there just for the NBA party.

“I keep working hard. I want to be better in the post, I want to improve my defensive game, I want to play hard, I want to be a good rim protector,” warns James Wiseman, ending the conversation with a handshake. How it happened to him and how he faced it with patience and courage. What he has to offer him for the rest of his life and the success of the NBA is much easier for him than for others. At 22, he has already learned to suffer.