James Wiseman has been working with Warriors assistant DeJan Milojević while rehabbing to improve his “post moves, ball handling, and play making.”
LaMelo Ball, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft was named an All-Star this season and won Rookie of the Year. Anthony Edwards, the No. 1 pick, is averaging over 20 points per game for his career, has the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference playoff race and was named Rookie of the Month three times. Tyrese Haliburton, the No. 12 pick, looks like a future star and had everyone scratching their head at the Kings trading him for Domantas Sabonis.
Even players lower in the draft like Saddiq Bey (No. 19), Tyrese Maxey (No. 21), Immanuel Quickley (No. 25) and Desmond Bane (No. 30) have made major impacts on their teams.
James Wiseman isn't worried about any of that. His focus is on himself, his team and nothing else when it comes to his draft class.
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"Comparison is the killer of all joy," Wiseman said Wednesday. "I really don't pay attention to social media. I'm barely on there anyways. I'm just focused on what I need to do right now."
The Warriors took Wiseman, a 19-year-old center who only played three college games, with the No. 2 pick. He averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds, but his season was cut short to only 39 games -- 27 starts. Wiseman underwent knee surgery last April and hasn't played since. The 7-foot center underwent arthroscopic surgery in December, which he called just a cleaning on Wednesday.
Now, there are nothing but positives regarding Wiseman for the first time in what feels like forever. He played in his first 5-on-5 full contact scrimmage on Tuesday, threw down some dunks, said he felt great after and believes this was a big box for him to check off in his rehab.
"Going through a lot of adversity for the last 10 months now and actually being able to play 5-on-5, that's a huge step for me," Wiseman said.
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The man who guarded him in the scrimmage, Juan Toscano-Anderson, said Wiseman "was a monster out there." Wiseman clearly added muscle during his rehab and shared his frustrations of it all in what he called "dark times" more than once. Klay Thompson, who was rehabbing his Achilles during Wiseman's rehab and was attempting to make a return from a two-and-a-half year absence has been constantly reminding the youngster to take it one day at a time. Toscano-Anderson, who grinded his way up and didn't make his NBA debut until he was 26, has been preaching patience on a daily basis.
Wiseman has taken his teammates' messages to heart.
"I'm not rushing it, because I'm in my own race," Wiseman said of his comeback and development. "I'm just trying to be the best version of myself. Really, I just look at it as a marathon. It's a long race, so I'm just trying to take my time and make sure I work on stuff that I need to work on and be patient."
He also has taken up some new hobbies to make him stronger mentally.
While Wiseman avoids social media as a much as he can, the few times he has posted it usually is about his music. That's just one outlet that Wiseman is utilizing, along with writing, reading and meditation.
"Writing for me is very therapeutic, so I put my thoughts down and my emotions and how I feel," Wiseman said. "Music was most definitely something that got me through the rehab process for sure."
The Warriors invested heavily in player development this offseason. Coaching changes and shifting strategies has resulted in 19-year-old Jonathan Kuminga, the No. 7 pick from last year's draft, showcasing superstar talent already. Moses Moody, the No. 14 pick from last year, also still is 19 and already has scored 20 points in a game and Jordan Poole, the Warriors' top pick in the 2019 draft, is enjoying his breakout season in Year 3.
RELATED: Warriors' strategic shift on display when Wiseman returns
The hiring of Dejan Milojević had a clear objective in getting the best out of Wiseman. It's why the Warriors never entertained the idea of trading Wiseman and why they feel even spurts of him down the stretch and in the playoffs could be the missing piece this year, with hopes that his star potential becomes a reality when healthy.
First, Wiseman is keeping it simple upon his return. As all the outside noise focuses on his injury and compares him to his draft counterparts, Wiseman went to work on himself inside and out. He gained a new perspective and is wrapping up one race in what he hopes to be a marathon of a career, at his own pace.
"It's just a blessing to go up and down the floor, not being able to do that for so long," Wiseman said. "It's a blessing just to be out there. I'm really grateful for that."