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.