The Indiana Pacers played 58 minutes of basketball in their season-opening loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
James Wiseman played zero of them.
Even heading into the season, it was expected that a lot needed to go right for Wiseman to carve out a legitimate role for the Pacers. He is fresh off an Achilles injury and was immediately considered the third or fourth-best center on the roster (and this isn't even factoring in whether Obi Toppin should be considered a center at this point).
Additionally, he is on just a partially guaranteed contract and was a potential cut candidate for Indiana in the offseason, though he ultimately made the team.
The former No. 2 overall pick also didn't help his case in preseason, when he averaged 5.2 points and three rebounds in 13.4 minutes across four games.
Indiana is running a center-by-committee in an attempt to replace Myles Turner, who joined the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency. In addition to Wiseman, the Pacers have Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, and Tony Bradley filling out their center depth chart. All three played against the Thunder, and none of them made too much of an impact (they combined for a total of seven points on 3-for-6 shooting, four rebounds, one block, two turnovers, and eight fouls).
Even so, Wiseman was unable to get playing time, leading to concerns about what his future in Indiana may hold.
There is not a lot to like about James Wiseman's Pacers outlook
In theory, Wiseman should be a good fit with the Pacers. He is incredibly athletic, possesses great size at 6-foot-11 and 240 pounds, and brings a lot of energy whenever he steps onto the court. Additionally, he is still just 24 years old and has a lot of room to grow.
Unfortunately for him, as has been the case throughout his entire NBA career so far, the idea of Wiseman is far better than the reality of it.
Though he has his strengths, the Memphis alum also has a ton of flaws.
Wiseman is a very underwhelming and inconsistent rebounder despite his size. Throughout his career so far, he has averaged 5.6 boards per game, and he logged double-digit rebounds in just eight games out of 63 in 2023-24 (his last full season). Additionally, he is not much of a defender, often looking lost and moving awkwardly on that side of the ball. He also does not possess much offensive value beyond his ability to score at the rim.
The Tennessee native has a lot of tools to be a good NBA player, and that's why Indiana is the perfect spot for him. It has regularly gotten the most out of its players, including castaways like Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith, and Toppin, among plenty of others.
However, at this point, there are reasons to be concerned that even the Pacers will not be able to fulfill Wiseman's potential, and that's a scary thought.
The season is still incredibly young, and if the rest of the Pacers' centers don't step up, they may have no choice but to give Wiseman an opportunity. However, it is also important to remember that his contract does not become fully guaranteed until January 10, 2026, and the Pacers may opt to move on from him before then, especially as they look to sort out their disastrous point guard situation.
Wiseman may be worth keeping an eye on, but as it stands, it seems like his run in Indiana may end before it ever truly begins. Again.