In November, LaMelo Ball was selected by the Charlotte Hornets one pick after James Wiseman was taken off the board by the Golden State Warriors at the 2020 NBA Draft. On Friday, the pair of top picks laced up against each other for the first time as professionals.
In Ball’s debut against the Warriors in Charlotte, Wiseman was sidelined with a sprained wrist injury. However, the Memphis product was back in the rotation for the battle between top picks on Friday at Chase Center.
Ball went to work early against the Warriors, scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field with two boards and assists in the opening quarter. Despite the Warriors charging to a 130-121 victory, Ball capped off his performance in the Bay Area with 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field with seven boards and six assists in 37 minutes for the Hornets.
Via @Ballislife on Twitter:
LaMelo Ball vs Warriors
22 PTS, 7 REB, 6 ASTAveraging 19.8 PTS, 6.3 AST, 6.3 REB, 1.8 STL as a starter & leads all rookies in PTS, REB, AST & STL pic.twitter.com/6xzyMTxM7Z
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 27, 2021
For the Warriors, Wiseman extended his double-figure scoring streak with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor. The second overall pick from the 2020 draft tacked on four rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench in Steve Kerr’s rotation.
After fouling out in 18 minutes against the Pacers on Wednesday, Wiseman kept the whistles limited against the Hornets, only tallying one foul on Friday night.
Wiseman’s highlight of the night came in the second quarter against the Hornets. The 19-year-old center powered down a rim-rattling dunk after quickly spinning by Charlotte’s P.J. Washington in the post.
Via @TheHoopNet on Twitter:
What-a-move by James Wiseman 👀
pic.twitter.com/HyTw2a5V3V— The Hoop Network (@TheHoopNet) February 27, 2021
Wiseman showed off more post moves in a matchup with Bismack Biyombo. Following an entry pass, Wiseman drove baseline before spinning towards the bucket to set up a soft hook.
Via @JoeVirayNBA on Twitter:
Whew, nice post moves from James Wiseman. Him developing into a dangerous low-post big would open up so many possibilities for the Warriors offense. pic.twitter.com/DNjLK89fhU
— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) February 27, 2021
After registering a victory in his first tangle with Ball, Wiseman and the Warriors will head to Hollywood for a tilt against LeBron James and the Lakers to end the first half of the season.
