⏩ James Wiseman: 7-foot rookie wants in dunk competition.
With the announcement this week that the Rising Stars challenge will not be played as part of the NBA AllStar festivities, Warriors rookie James Wiseman mentioned another way that he might eventually get into the fun.
The dunk competition. “I’m super athletic, so I would like to show off my moves and my talents,” Wiseman said after Friday’s shootaround as the Warriors prepared to play Charlotte. “Probably in a couple of years, I’ll be able to do that.”
The No. 2 overall pick would likely have been part of the AllStar festival during a normal NBA season, but with the coronavirus pandemic still wreaking havoc, the event has been condensed to one day.
The skills challenge and 3point shootout will take place before the March 7 AllStar Game, and the dunk competition will play out at halftime. The Rising Stars game, which generally showcases rookies and secondyear players, will not be held.
The league’s assistant coaches will still name the Rising Stars rosters Wednesday, and Wiseman will probably be among the 10 players from each the United States and international pools. Among rookies, Wiseman ranks first in blocked shots (1.2 per game), is second in rebounds (5.9 per game), tied for fourth in scoring (12.2 points per game), fifth in fieldgoal shooting (51.4%), and 10th in freethrow shooting (63.5%).
“Keep playing hard, playing smart and wanting to get better,” said Warriors wing Andrew Wiggins, who was the Rookie of the Year in 2015. “He’s around great guys, around Steph (Curry) and Draymond (Green), around legends. He’s going to learn a lot. It’s a process. There are a lot of ups and downs down that rookie season, but once you find yourself and become confident, the sky is going to be the limit for him. There’s so much he can do and how raw he is. The stuff that he’s doing, he doesn’t even know he’s doing it. When he figures it all out and becomes who he’s supposed to be, he’s going to become a superstar.”
At 7foot, Wiseman isn’t a prototype dunk competitor.
Five of the past six winners have been 65 or 66, with the lone exception being 6foot Donovan Mitchell in 2018. The tallest winner of the dunk competition was 610 Dwight Howard in 2008.
Of course, Wiseman isn’t a typical 7footer.
“He’s fast,” Wiggins said. “He gets down the court in three steps. He’s everywhere. And, when he figures it out, he’s going to be a problem. …
“He’s 19. He’s young. No one figures it out that early. It takes time, but he’s around a good group of guys, good coaches, good guys who are going to develop him the right way. Every year, you’re going to see him get better and better, until he’s unstoppable.”