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This article is a facsimile of an earlier publication on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors.  Three games is all James Wiseman got during this college career at the University of Memphis. The NCAA ruled him ineligible early in the season in a complex and unfair situation where head coach Penny Hardaway allegedly acted improperly in getting Wiseman's family to move to Memphis.
The young center's college career ended, and he dropped out of school after the NCAA mandated he pay $11,000 to charity without accepting the money from other sources. That lack of collegiate game experience has led Wiseman to be out of sight and out of mind for many. A true seven-footer with freakish athleticism and mobility, a sweet-looking jump shot and versatile defensive chops, there's a reason he was highly touted coming out of high school. The kid looks the part and has (mostly) produced like he's a top-five selection. So why isn't a guy like this (in a so-called weak draft class) seen as a frontrunner and regarded as a transcendent talent? Some of it may have to do with his absence from the stage, and some of it may be about the aesthetics of his current weak spots.
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This article is a facsimile of an earlier version published on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors. Read more on Desmond Bane, Killian Tillie and Payton Pritchard.
This article is a facsimile of an earlier version published on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors.  Knowing your biases helps you better navigate and contextualize player evaluation (whether your own or another's) as well as hold yourself accountable.
Any decision-maker on an organizational level has to do a deep dive to understand themselves if they are to do what's best for the organization as a whole. That process of self-reflection and objective study seeks not so much to remove biases, but to become better equipped to acknowledge them. By doing so, biases move out of blind spots where we often don't feel their presence. Once in the light, they serve as important conversations to determine what truly is best for the whole. In that light, I've tried to look at a few biases I certainly hold and examine not just why I hold them, but also whether they are based on any data or important context. Hopefully, this study does two-fold: Lend credence to why I harbor a lot of the draft opinions I hold, as well as opening a dialogue where those readers who disagree begin to examine their own biases. I've written about my biases before, resulting in the following beliefs: shooting is the most important skill, weight or strength isn't a great reason to avoid a prospect, avoid drafting those who played in a 2-3 zone exclusively, and some college coaches are to be trusted more than others. On that last point, Saddiq Bey is the primary benefactor of decades of role player success coming from the Jay Wright program at Villanova. Consistently, Wright churns out players who are well-rounded due to the nature of his offense, skill development program and their consistent retention of players into their upperclassman years. This article is a facsimile of an earlier version published by The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors.  These days, who doesn't love a good sharpshooter from 3?
If the 2019 NBA Draft was proof of anything, general managers are among those who dig the long ball. The second-round was littered with 3-point shooting specialists, from Carsen Edwards of the Boston Celtics to Kyle Guy of the Sacramento Kings. Every team needs a weapon to spread the defense out and draw defenders away from the hoop. Drafting role players who fulfill this specific need is in higher demand than ever before. Combine that with a fairly weak crop of prospects in 2020 and there's no telling how high 3-point shooting role players may rise. Could we see a couple make their way into the lottery, similar to Cam Johnson did with the Phoenix Suns in 2019? This article is a facsimile of an earlier version published on The Basketball Writers (TBW), which recently closed its doors.  High volume has robbed Isaiah Joe of the high-efficiency 3-point shooting he enjoyed as a freshman. Still, he is a large part of why Arkansas enjoyed a renaissance season under first-year head coach (and former NBA sideline general) Eric Musselman. Taking a whopping 10.6 3-point attempts a night.
As soon as he steps in the gym, he's in range to let it fly. A January 34-point outburst on the road at Ole Miss—a night that included him going 7-of-13 from deep—has revitalized Joe's draft stock. When we say deep, we're not just talking about behind the 3-point line—which, as a reminder, is now moved back to professional levels and no longer a short college line. Joe has the ability to score outside areas where most defender venture to pick him up, and that makes him incredibly dangerous as soon as he crosses half-court. If the aesthetics of a jumper matter to you, Joe will be your top prospect in this class. Nobody has a smoother, more beautiful stroke. He's also incredibly long and knows how to use his length. Unfortunately, no official measurements are available for his wingspan, but he's likely upwards of 6'7". Joe had an up-and-down season at Arkansas under former NBA head coach Eric Mussleman. Joe started the season 35.8 percent from deep over their first 16 games, and his team started 14-2. But the Razorbacks finished 5-5, and Joe went 31.3 percent over that span. The drop may not seem that drastic, but when you take eleven treys a game, it's the difference between three points per game. Joe is solid in most facets, and his skill level doesn't have many glaring holes. That said, there's one major weakness with his value as a prospect: he's 6'5" and barely 165 pounds. That rail-thin frame, one that didn't improve over two years at Arkansas, will scare off plenty of teams who doesn't see the well-rounded shooter he could turn into. |
AuthorAdam Spinella is a Division III basketball coach using what he's learned about scouting and skill development and applying it to the NBA Draft Archives
November 2020
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