Pistons: Warriors’ media dubious of Casey’s assessment of Wiseman

James Wiseman has only played six games for the Detroit Pistons so far and has shown flashes of why he was the #2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

He has averaged 10.3 points and 8.3 rebounds since being traded to Detroit, but still has plenty of things to iron out as he tries to acclimate to his new teammates and get used to playing full time after spending most games on the bench for the Golden State Warriors.

Detroit took a small gamble on his talent and will have the rest of this season and all of next one to see if that risk pans out.

Dwane Casey has has had high praise for Wiseman and had some unexpected things to say about his potential to be a leader for the Detroit Pistons in a recent post-game press conference:

"“He knows what winning basketball looks like, whereas a lot of our guys are just getting into the league…We’ve been rebuilding for a few years now. They’ve got to feel it, taste it: time, score, situation. Is that shot a good shot in winning time? Is that defensive gamble a good play? He’s seen all those things, and it gives him a step ahead of a lot of young guys. He’s got that leadership genius in him.”"

It was the “leadership genius” that really stood out, and some in the Warriors’ media are not buying it.

Detroit Pistons: James Wiseman a leadership genius?

Fans and press that follow the Golden State Warriors have been paying attention to James Wiseman since he joined Detroit, after all, he has a lot of untapped talent and never really got the chance to show it for the Warriors, who were chasing a ring and didn’t have time for player development.

That’s why Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle was not exactly buying what Dwane Casey was selling in terms of Wiseman’s leadership “genius.” He did concede that Wiseman was in a much better spot in Detroit and had big-time potential, but also added:

"“Essentially, there has been no change. Wiseman looks great flying down the court, handling the ball, shooting from the outside, aggressively posting up inside and slamming home a high-flying dunk. He’s not a truly forceful rebounder, vulnerable to the ball getting stripped from his hands, and he needs work on his defensive awareness and footwork. All of which the Warriors, and their fans, know well.”"

We know Wiseman has some skills that set him apart from other bigs, namely his handles and ability to run the floor, but as Jenkins rightfully points out, the flaws are all still evident. Casey is just trying to pump up his guy, and hoping that he learned some leadership by osmosis while winning a ring with the Warriors, but “leadership genius” may be slight hyperbole on his part.

Let’s hope Casey is right, as the Detroit Pistons are going to need big contributions from the group they already have if they are going to make the leap to competitiveness next season as Troy Weaver has promised.