A fake handoff, two dribbles and two hits at the heart of the racket later, James Wiseman could release one of the gestures of the evening: a beautiful poster, left hand, on Nick Richards. After the meeting, the pivot of the Pistons will be content to see in this action the fruits of his work in the room.
A job that seems to pay a little more than usual at the moment. Last night, in the victory against the Hornets, he produced a copy of 10 points (4/6 on shots) and 9 rebounds. He had done better two days earlier, against the Mavs, with 17 points (8/10), 12 rebounds and 4 assists. Undoubtedly his best match this season when Jalen Duren was hampered by fouls before being sent off.
“ His approach is great, and I think that allows him to have these kinds of evenings. If he was emotionally unstable, it would be harder for him to be ready for those moments, because he didn't get regular playing time earlier in the season. But he didn't give up, he continued to work with Coach (Mark) Bryant. Today, this work is starting to bear fruit “, judge Monty Williams.
Before his good outing against the Texans, his replacement also contributed 10 points coming off the bench against the Nets. Seeing him string together three games in a row with 10 points in a row is déjà vu this season. James Wiseman had already done the same in mid-December, a period when Jalen Duren was on the sidelines. And where the Pistons were losing.
The free field in the rotation
In the current sequence, the Pistons have won two of their three confrontations, certainly against teams with a negative record. Since this visit in December, the former Warriors player had had a string of average performances and stints on the bench.
“ It takes a lot of moral strength to go through what he went through, not playing regularly. He has done a very good job in this regard and we are satisfied with the production he provides on the field », Continues his coach who favored the Marvin Bagley III option earlier in the season.
He was sent to Washington a few weeks ago, and the counterparts, Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari, were cut, allowing James Wiseman to establish himself in the second rotation inside. The 22-year-old should therefore have until the end of the season to show himself in a more regular role.
“ He worked hard. He stayed ready. He has the best attitude possible, he comes in and works every day. He's not happy when he doesn't play, and I like that. He is learning to be productive in several ways: his rim protection, his pick-and-roll positioning is probably one of the best on the team. He dives then opens », Lists Monty Williams, who repeats that he loves his approach.
Holding the pivot position, Jalen Duren sees in his teammate a “ great talent. He's not here by chance, I'm very happy to see how he progresses. He's a guy who's in the gym every day, who works, who takes extra shots […] This is a testament to the work he does. »
| James Wiseman | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2020-21 | GOS | 39 | 21 | 51.9 | 31.6 | 62.8 | 1.4 | 4.4 | 5.8 | 0.7 | 3.1 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 11.5 |
| 2022-23 * | All Teams | 45 | 19 | 55.8 | 20.0 | 70.1 | 1.6 | 4.3 | 5.9 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 10.0 |
| 2022-23 * | DET | 24 | 25 | 53.1 | 16.7 | 71.2 | 2.3 | 5.8 | 8.1 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 12.7 |
| 2022-23 * | GOS | 21 | 13 | 62.8 | 50.0 | 68.4 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 6.9 |
| 2023-24 | DET | 44 | 15 | 66.9 | 0.0 | 61.8 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 6.2 |
| Total | 128 | 18 | 56.4 | 26.7 | 65.5 | 1.5 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 9.1 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
