Since the Detroit Pistons traded for James Wiseman, most of the discussion has revolved around his role and whether he can play with another big.
The center position has changed immensely in recent years, as more big men are shooting the ball and teams are relying far less on post play.
Teams are looking for dynamic bigs who can protect the rim and defend on the perimeter, and if you can knock down a 3-point shot, even better.
Perhaps no center represents this more than Brook Lopez, who went from a traditional center to one of the game’s best stretch fives while showing exactly how to make it work with another big on the floor.
He and James Wiseman are very different players, but there is a lot Wiseman can learn from the crafty veteran.
Detroit Pistons: Spread the floor, protect the rim
For his first eight seasons, Brook Lopez played the role of traditional center and was the offensive focal point of his team. But as the game evolved, so did he, and if he hadn’t, he might not be where he is right now, which is a key player on a title contender.
Lopez started shooting from the outside, which helped alleviate some of the space issues that would have otherwise been there while playing with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Lopez is a good enough shooter to be a floor spreader on offense, which made him more effective in the pick and roll and allows Milwaukee to play big.
Playing big is something Troy Weaver seems to be obsessed with, and got his wish when the Detroit Pistons traded for James Wiseman. But as we’ve seen with the Wiseman/Bagley III pairing, it doesn’t work when neither of the bigs can shoot.
Wiseman has the most potential in this area, and has already shown the ability to hit a mid-range jumper, so extending that to a 3-point shot would definitely help the spacing issues that occur when he’s on the floor with another big.
Even though Lopez has become less of a traditional center offensively, it hasn’t affected his rim protection, as he is one of the best shot blockers in the league, is very good at affecting shots on the perimeter and is a smart team defender who can clean up a lot of mistakes.
Wiseman is far from there as a 21-year-old, but he has the potential to be the type of center that can spread the floor and protect the rim, which are the things he should be focusing on right now. Centers who can shoot and defend the rim will have long careers in the NBA, as Lopez is showing.