Warriors' James Wiseman Says He's Aiming to Win 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year

After the Golden State Warriors selected him with the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft on Wednesday, former Memphis guard James Wiseman shared his lofty goals for his first year in the league.

"Rookie of the Year is something I do want on my list," he said, per USA Today's Mark Medina. "But I just want to be the best player I can be and learn as much as possible."

Wiseman appeared in just three games for Memphis before he elected to depart from the program and prepare for the draft rather than finish serving a 12-game suspension handed down by the NCAA because of an improper benefit.

The 7'1" center was ESPN's top-ranked player in the class of 2019, and he averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks on 76.9 percent shooting in his brief stint with Memphis. He'll slot into a Warriors lineup that is attempting to improve on a 15-50 season as Golden State stares down the possibility of more time without Klay Thompson.

Thompson missed the entirety of the 2019-20 season after tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, and he injured his leg while working out in Southern California earlier on draft day. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Thompson will undergo testing this week, while The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears reported that the injury was "not good."

Wiseman's new teammate, Stephen Curry, who missed all but five games of the 2019-20 season because of injuries, spoke about his team's need to add size to the roster this offseason on an Instagram Live session last week (h/t Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports Bay Area):

"Probably need some size. But at the end of the day, it's different when you have a pick like that trying to integrate him into the team we're bringing back and the excitement we have coming off the long, long layover, so yeah, stay tuned."

If nothing else, Wiseman might have history on his side in his quest to become Rookie of the Year—last year's No. 2 pick, Ja Morant, earned the honor after averaging 17.8 points, 7.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 67 appearances for the Memphis Grizzlies.