Pistons praise Wiseman for his ‘leadership genius’

James Wiseman, prospect. No question about it. James Wiseman, promising NBA future.

A lot of people believe that. James Wiseman, “leadership genius.”

Wait — what?

That's how Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey described the former Golden State Warriors center in the wake of Wiseman's performances since the trade-deadline deal.

“He knows what winning basketball looks like, whereas a lot of our guys are just getting into the league,” Casey told reporters after Wiseman lit up the Charlotte Hornets for 23 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes Monday night.

“We've been rebuilding for a few years now. They've got to feel it, taste it: time, score, situation. Is that shot a good shot in winning time? Is that defensive gamble a good play? He's seen all those things, and it gives him a step ahead of a lot of young guys. He's got that leadership genius in him.”

You're tempted to barge in: “Uh, Wiseman wasn't actually on the court when the Warriors did all of those wonderful things and won the title. He didn't even play last season.”

But he did see some things. He made a point of absorbing as much knowledge as he could from the likes of Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala. Wiseman saw how a dynasty-level franchise operates, from the fringes, and now he's the starting center on a team trying to climb out of the basement, getting guaranteed big minutes every night.

It's not that he's turned into Bam Adebayo overnight. Wiseman was barely a factor in the Pistons' 117-115 loss to Chicago on Wednesday night, hitting two shots within the first two minutes but not scoring from the floor again until an early fourth-quarter dunk. He did pull down nine rebounds in 29 minutes but was barely involved in the offense as Detroit staged a late comeback.

Essentially, there has been no change. Wiseman looks great flying down the court, handling the ball, shooting from the outside, aggressively posting up inside and slamming home a high-flying dunk. He's not a truly forceful rebounder, vulnerable to the ball getting stripped from his hands, and he needs work on his defensive awareness and footwork. All of which the Warriors, and their fans, know well.

The difference will be playing time, a maddeningly elusive assignment with the Warriors, and he couldn't have landed in a better place. Lots of exposure, no pressure and a much easier offensive system to grasp.

“His go-to play right now is his offensive rebounding,” Casey said. “He's doing a great job of reading where the ball is coming off, putting it back in, finishing or making a read and kicking it out. He's just now learning all the little things: footwork in the post, not letting them push him off his sweet spot. But he has all the athletic skills. I really like his motor, how hard he plays. He cares, he listens. He's a sponge.”

Right on the edge

The Memphis Grizzlies have become known as the NBA's swaggering, trash-talking bad boys, personified by Dillon Brooks' reckless aggression, and it was little more than an annoyance (especially for the Warriors) until police reports began surfacing about Ja Morant's behavior. The Washington Post reported “postgame allegations of someone in Morant's SUV pointing a red laser thought to be from a gun at members of the Pacers organization” Jan. 29, and that over the past year, “Morant has been accused of punching a teenage boy ‘12 or 13 times' during a pickup basketball game at Morant's home in Memphis last summer and later exposing a gun in his waistband.” Four days earlier, the Post reported, “Morant and a group of about nine others were alleged to have escalated a situation at a mall, the head of security telling police that Morant ‘threatened' him and that one of the people with Morant shoved him in the head.” Morant's crisis escalated on Saturday after his Instagram Live video showed what appeared to be him displaying a handgun while at a nightclub early Saturday morning. That prompted an investigation by the NBA and the Grizzlies announced he would “be away from the team for at least the next two games.” There have been no arrests or (as yet) punishment stemming from NBA investigations, but Morant should take a close look at his reputation. It has developed an unsavory component. … The best show in basketball right now? Iowa's Caitlin Clark, one of the most crowd-pleasing talents in the history of the collegiate game. She routinely hits jump shots from 30-35 feet, drives hard and effectively to the basket, puts up 30-point-plus games with regularity and leads the nation in assists per game (8.2), delivering passes reminiscent of Kevin Love and Nikola Jokic. Don't miss her in the NCAA Tournament — and it's interesting to hear that she loves the collegiate scene so much, she might bypass the 2024 WNBA draft to exercise a fifth year of eligibility. … If the Warriors ever get healthy with some collective peace of mind, they'll know exactly who they are. That hardly applies to the Clippers, so terribly unimpressive in their 115-91 loss at Chase Center on Thursday night. They've load-managed their way into unfamiliarity, and Western Conference contenders can only celebrate the addition of Russell Westbrook. For all of his explosive drives and attempts at playmaking, he has been characterized by turnovers and horrendous shooting for two years (at least). He'll shoot the Clippers right out of a crucial game or two, and the Warriors simply ignored him, leaving him to misfire (3-for-12) in solitary. “If you're open every play,” Green said afterward, "you kind of start questioning yourself.”

All the evidence you need that baseball's new pitch clock is a blessing: the split-screen video that shows the Dodgers' Landon Knack retiring the Padres in order last week in the exact time that Pedro Baez threw one pitch for the Dodgers during the 2016 NLCS against the Cubs. … More instructional viewing: Rare Sportsfilms offers a clip of Hank Aaron slashing a home run off the Yankees' Don Larsen in Game 3 of the 1957 World Series at Milwaukee's County Stadium. The at-bat lasts a full two minutes, thanks to a very deliberate Larsen and the umpire taking time to dust off home plate. Aaron didn't leave the box. Just like Barry Bonds, he owned it. No vacancy. … ESPN made a case last year for the Dodgers' Mookie Betts, Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman representing the best top-of-the order group in history. That's long gone, with Turner in Philadelphia, but it never did make sense. Go with Game 1 of the 1975 World Series, when the Reds led off with Joe Morgan, Pete Rose and Johnny Bench (followed by Tony Perez and George Foster). … Still haven't heard from the Phillies' Kyle Schwarber on his absurd bunt attempt in Game 6 of last year's World Series. Here's a man who hit 46 homers in the regular season, but with a 1-2 count and two outs in the top of the eighth, nobody on base and the Astros about to close it out with a 4-1 lead, Schwarber fouled off a bunt for strike three. What the hell?