TORONTO — James Wiseman finds himself in a far different position than where his career started.
A career that he is now trying to salvage.
The No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, he is no longer the exciting youngster whose potential had the Warriors and their fans dreaming of stardom. Six years later, he finds himself in a battle to claim the final roster spot as the third-string center.
“Back then, obviously, he was talented but he was really raw in terms of his ability and feel on the court,” Knicks coach Mike Brown, who coached Wiseman as an assistant with the Warriors, said before the team’s preseason game against the Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. “It’s obviously a lot higher now, but he’s also been humbled a little bit with the challenges and the adversity he’s gone through in his career. He understands how hard it is. That obviously is different now than what it was back then.”