Who won first matchup of Wiseman vs. Ball?

James Wiseman and Lamelo Ball were matched up for just a moment. Ball came off a screen and drove into the paint, Wiseman stepped up to block his path, and Ball passed to an open teammate. This was not a critical play in the Warriors’ 130-121 win over the Hornets on Friday, but it did sum up what it is that both of these top picks have been asked to do for their respective teams.

With his combination of passing acumen and confidence, Ball has thrived running Charlotte’s offense as their starting point guard and is the frontrunner for the top rookie award.

Because of this, the Warriors’ selection of Wiseman with the second overall pick, one pick ahead of Ball in the draft, has been met with some second-guessing. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the Warriors made the wrong choice.

It’s too early for conclusions, but the first meeting between Wiseman and Ball likely left both of their teams feeling confident about their rookies. Here’s a look at how both played in the first of what will be many matchups.

Lamelo Ball

Ball finished with 22 points on 7-for-16 shooting, (3-for-8 from 3-point range), seven rebounds and six assists. It wasn’t his best performance, but he’s clearly become a leader on a young Hornets team.

So far this season, he has exceeded even the loftiest of expectations. Rare is it that a rookie, especially one with so much responsibility, impacts win- ning in a real way. Ball does. Concerns about his unorthodox shooting motion have been tempered by him making 35% on 5.3 3-point attempts per game. He has quickly put his stamp on the Hornets. The ball moves constantly and quickly as Charlotte has emerged as one of the league’s fastest and best passing teams.

“They like to play fast and he’s such a great passer that if you let him pick you apart, he can really get everybody involved and get their team into a good groove,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said of Ball. “He’s definitely a real point guard -- those are few and far between these days. Most young point guards grow up wanting to be Steph (Curry) or Damian Lillard, to be lethal shooters, and Lamelo is old-school. He’s a pass-first point guard who is showing that he can shoot, too.”

But Ball’s limitations were exploited Friday. Though Ball, a 6-foot-6 point guard, has the potential to be a versatile and disruptive defender, he can be prone to losing focus and getting beat on that end. Golden State targeted him early and often by forcing him to switch onto Kelly Oubre Jr., then having Oubre slip to the rim for an easy dunk. This happened three times in the first nine minutes.

James Wiseman

Wiseman missed last week’s loss to the Hornets with a sprained left wrist, but he’s given the Warriors reason to be encouraged about his future with his ability to run the floor, block shots and make outside jumpers.

“He can catch; he can run; he can score; he’s only going to get better over time,” Hornets head coach James Borrego said. “I think the Warriors got themselves a very good player.”

Though Wiseman has had his share of highlights -- ranging from coast-tocoast dunks to smooth 3-pointers off the dribble -- the closest thing to a highlight Friday was when he faced up on the low block and spun into a twohanded dunk.

He finished with 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting and four rebounds. But with Curry scoring 29 points and Draymond Green posting a triple-double, the Warriors needed Wiseman for his rim-protection. Though he’s progressed quite a bit on that end since the start of the season, Wiseman had an up-and-down game defensively.

This was a fast-paced game, with a lot of running and switching. During the draft process, the big question about Wiseman was whether he could defend in space. At times Friday, he was solid.

One time he diagnosed correctly Charlotte’s motion, cutting off Miles Bridges and helping force a turnover, which earned him a high-five from Green.

Later, Wiseman was late to rotate on a layup by Hornets guard Malik Monk. Kerr, frustrated, called a timeout. Unlike Ball, Wiseman wasn’t allowed to play through his mistakes.

“This was a tough game because it was so fast, and wild,” Kerr said. “He had some really good plays and then some where he was slow to rotate. But you can see the impact he can make.

“He’s a scoring machine when he’s out on the floor,” Kerr continued. “It’s just a matter of him getting more comfortable with our defensive coverages, gaining recognition, that kind of stuff.”

This was Wiseman’s 16th game, and just his third since returning from his injury. Since opening the season as a starter, he’s moved to the bench so the Warriors can bring him along more slowly. Wiseman ranks 16th in minutes (20.4), fourth in points (12.3), second in rebounds (5.8) and first in blocks (1.1) per game.

Meanwhile, Ball has been empowered to do his thing in Charlotte. He is third among rookies in minutes played and first in points (15), assists (6.1) and rebounds (6.1) per game.

Maybe the most telling stat from Friday’s game is that Ball (37 minutes) played 20 more minutes than Wiseman (17).

Still, Wiseman was always easily atop the Warriors’ draft board. Ball will thrive with the Hornets, but it’s hard to imagine him getting the same opportunity in Golden State.

The Warriors were convinced by Wiseman’s talent and maturity, but also wanted to fill a position of need. His skillset as a 7-footer who can run the floor, handle the ball, defend in space and shoot from the perimeter is rare. Not all of this was on display Friday but, going forward, the Wiseman-ball matchups will provide checkpoints to measure their development.

“I see a guy who’s got incredible athleticism, poise and skills,” Kerr said of Wiseman. “I see a future All-star.”