James Wiseman must do this to crack Pacers rotation

In July, the Indiana Pacers signed center James Wiseman to a two-year, minimum contract. Considering Wiseman was selected second overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors and was deemed a top prospect just a few years ago, this is a big dropoff in terms of expectations for the Tennessee native.

Wiseman is considered one of the biggest busts in recent NBA history, and he may go down as one of the biggest busts of all time. In his career up to this point, Wiseman has split time with the Warriors and, most recently, the Detroit Pistons. Over his three-year career (he missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a knee injury), Wisemen is averaging 9.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

Despite ultimately not panning out in the NBA so far, Wiseman has a new opportunity with the Pacers, and a change of scenery could be a good thing for the big man to unleash his full potential.

Additionally, from Indiana's perspective, they signed him to an extremely team-friendly deal. And for a team like the Pacers who need depth at the big man position, there are reasons to feel optimistic about the Wiseman addition.

Unfortunately, there is a reason Wiseman is already on his third team in four years. He has the tools to be solid in the NBA and become a similar player to what was expected of him after his college career, but he simply has not been a good basketball player in the league.

Furthermore, he is not guaranteed to even be a part of Indiana's rotation. However, it is important to remember he is just 23 years old and can still improve. For him to crack the rotation and prove he belongs in the NBA, it is crucial that he works on his defensive game, which would pay dividends for the big man and the Pacers as a team.

James Wiseman must improve his overall defense

The Pacers are a great team overall, but their defense is the main thing holding them back from reaching that next level. If Wiseman can work on his defensive game and improve drastically on that front, he would provide a boost to the Pacers' biggest weakness. In turn, this would not only make him useful to the Pacers, but it would make him a truly important bench player in their rotation.