James Wiseman, the guy who almost walked away from the NBA, just made the opening night roster for the defending champion New York Knicks. That’s a massive comeback, especially after the Knicks recently fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 120-97 in their October 5 preseason game. Wiseman was right there in the action, and now he’s officially cemented his spot as a third center for a team with serious aspirations.
From No. 2 Pick to Almost Out: Wiseman’s Rocky Road
Let’s be real, Wiseman’s journey back has been a grind. This isn’t the same guy the Warriors drafted with the No. 2 pick back in 2020. His career got absolutely derailed by injuries, starting right after playing just three college games before turning pro. He was a raw rookie trying to find his way on a veteran team that was pushing for a championship. His rookie year, already cut short by the pandemic with barely any training camp, ended with a meniscus tear that cost him the rest of the season and his entire sophomore year. Golden State ended up trading him to the Detroit Pistons in 2023, mainly to get his salary off the books. The Pistons already had a ton of young centers, and Wiseman just couldn’t get consistent playing time. Then, in 2024, it looked like he finally found a home with the Indiana Pacers, only to tear his Achilles in the very first game of the season. Talk about a brutal run of bad luck! He seriously almost gave up on the league.
Mike Brown Believed: A Limited Role Could Be Everything
So, why is New York giving him this shot? It all comes down to head coach Mike Brown. Brown knew Wiseman from their time together with the Warriors, and he calls him a “fantastic human being.” The Knicks took an approach that worked for them last season, inviting a bunch of veterans to fight for that last roster spot. Landry Shamet, remember him? He emerged from a packed field to become one of their most important bench guys. Wiseman battled it out, beating John “Jitty” Konchar, Ochai Agbaji, Tony Bradley, and Bruce Brown. Plus, his direct competition at center, Drew Eubanks, tore a pectoral muscle and got waived, which cleared a path. Now Wiseman steps in as the third center, playing behind Karl-Anthony Towns and rebound monster Andre Drummond. Wiseman is still only 25 years old, younger than Quinten Post and Charles Bassey, and just a year-and-a-half older than Yaxel Lendeborg. He’s got a fantastic chance to rebuild his career, and if he can win over celebrity fans like Tracy Morgan, Timothee Chalamet, and Spike Lee, that’s just icing on the cake.
Wiseman’s NBA future might just depend on him settling into a specific role: a solid shot-blocker, a reliable rebounder, and maybe even a reasonable perimeter shooter. The good news is, he should get chances. Towns is going to spend a lot of minutes at power forward, and the 33-year-old Drummond isn’t the iron man he once was. This limited, specific role could be exactly what Wiseman needs to finally establish himself as a competent, reliable backup big in the league. It’s a tiny role on an extremely famous team, but it’s a chance to showcase himself, not as a future star, but as an NBA player who belongs.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
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