Andrew Bogut knows what it's like to be a top pick in the NBA draft. He understands the pressure that's immediately put on the shoulders of a young 7-footer. He has been in James Wiseman's shoes.
And he's very impressed with the Warriors' 19-year-old center.
"Wiseman, he's doing a fantastic job and it's gonna take him time to get used to everything but I've got a few friends that are coaches there still and they tell me that he's the real deal," Bogut said Tuesday on KNBR's "Mark Willard Show." "He's gonna be a fantastic player."
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Wiseman already has earned the role of the Warriors' starting center. Through seven games as a pro, he's averaging 11.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. He isn't just a lumbering big man, though.
The long lefty is shooting 41.7 percent from 3-point range while averaging just under two attempts per game. His attempts should only increase as the season goes on, too.
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Bogut was turning 28 years old when he was traded to the Warriors and was in his age-30 season when Steve Kerr became his head coach. The now-retired big man knows how complex Kerr's offense can be, which is a major reason why he has been so impressed by Wiseman.
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"That system's a unique system to play in as a young fella," Bogut said. "It's a hard one to adjust to, especially for a young guy like that. It's probably the opposite of what you've been taught as a big guy at times because everything is set up to get a ton of 3s up and you have to have a high basketball IQ to know where Steph, and once Klay's back, and where all these guys like to shoot from.
"He's learning on the fly from what I hear. He's got a body that you can't teach, his wingspan is way above average, he's athletic, he can protect the rim, he can handle the ball -- I think he's got all the tools and from what I understand, he's just got to catch up on all the NBA terminology and the way that all goes. Once that all clicks for him, he'll be a very important cog for that roster."
In only a handful of NBA games, Wiseman already is a very important piece to the Warriors' success in the present and the future. His list of admirers is growing by the minute, including a former Warriors champion in Bogut.
