Steve Kerr and James Wiseman discuss the reasons that Kevin Garnett would be the ideal player for the rookie to learn from. Wiseman chats about his familiarity with Anthony Davis ahead of Monday’s Warriors-Lakers game.
James Wiseman models his game after Kevin Garnett, but the Warriors rookie made sure to watch plenty of film of a current star as he prepared for the 2020 NBA Draft.
"In the pre-draft process, really I was just watching a lot of film on Anthony Davis -- his different moves, how he attacks the basket," Wiseman said Sunday to reporters. "So, I kind of know his game really well."
"Throughout my high school years I used to watch his games a lot. I'm very familiar with Anthony Davis, and I used to watch him at Kentucky when I was younger. When they faced Louisville, I watched that game. I'm very familiar with Anthony Davis."
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Wiseman will face Davis for the first time as a pro Monday night when the Warriors play the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. It will be another tough test for the 19-year-old, just four days after Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double in the Warriors' loss to the Denver Nuggets.
As a teenage rookie, Wiseman is listed at 7-feet tall and 240 pounds with plenty of room to grow. Davis now is listed at 6-foot-10 and 253 pounds, but was listed at just 222 pounds coming into the NBA. He now has a long muscular frame as someone who dominates on both ends of the floor. Davis can back down a defender, nail 3-pointers and initiate the offense, all while playing at an All-Defensive level.
Wiseman has watched countless hours of film on Davis. But nothing is like the real thing. More than anything, facing Davis for the first time can give Wiseman a glimpse of what he ultimately can be.
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Golden State Warriors
Already as a rookie, Wiseman has shown the ability to go coast-to-coast and he has hit a handful of shots from beyond the arc. He has done this while mostly relying on his eye-popping athleticism at such a young age.
When Wiseman looks Davis in the eyes Monday night, the Warriors have to hope their center is looking at the Mirror of Erised -- a star, a champion and the future of the NBA.
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