The Negatives
From what we've seen, it's not looking good. See, while Wiseman's stats may look solid on paper, at seven points and five rebounds on 61% shooting, he may be one of the most deceiving players in the league when it comes to raw stats.
Let's get one thing clear, the Detroit Pistons were garbage in 2023-24. Nobody will argue against that, myself included. However, Wiseman somehow managed to stand out as a bad player on the worst team in the NBA. Looking at the on/off numbers for him enters you into a scary reality behind one of the most hyped draft picks of the last decade.
Detroit had a net rating of -6.57 with Wiseman off the floor, which is pretty bad. However, with him on the floor, their net rating tanked to -14.47, almost eight full points worse. Additionally, their offensive rating dropped from 111.46 to 107.25 and their defensive rating from 118.03 to 121.72 with him on the floor, while their field goal percentage even dipped slightly in addition to their opponent's field goal percentage rising with him on the floor.
The fact of the matter is that the Detroit Pistons were not a good basketball team last year, and Wiseman did not help proceedings in the slightest, instead making it worse by dumping water on the sinking ship.
Looking at the film produces a mixed bag of promise and confusion. Let's start with the negatives. First of all, Wiseman does not have a very good basketball IQ. He does not get into position for rebounds, cannot handle the ball, is not a good screen setter, is a bad pick-and-roll defender, and is a poor passer, especially out of the post.
Watching him on defense evokes an image of one of those inflatable tube men at used car dealerships, meaning he will get out of position to contest shots and give up an offensive rebound. Back to his screens, you'll be hard-pressed to find a screen Wiseman set in the early part of the season that wasn't a foul, as he constantly moves his feet and cannot stay put when establishing position.
Back to his rebounding, it is pretty shocking watching a 7-footer with a 7-foot-6 wingspan struggle to rebound and box out, with most of his rebounds coming as a result of his sheer size. Needless to say, James Wiseman has quite a bit of flaws and is a work in progress.