James Wiseman Needed Just Nine Minutes to Make the Knicks’ Roster Battle More Interesting

James Wiseman showed rebounding and finishing potential in his Knicks preseason debut, giving Mike Brown more to consider in the third-center battle.

James Wiseman’s opportunity with the New York Knicks may depend on how consistently he handles a straightforward assignment. In the preseason opener against Philadelphia, he offered several examples of what he could bring to the third-center position.

The 25-year-old played just nine minutes in New York’s 120–97 defeat, but used that brief appearance to collect offensive rebounds, finish around the basket and draw fouls.

The James Wiseman Knicks roster battle remains unresolved. Still, his opening performance gave Mike Brown tangible contributions to evaluate as the team examines its depth behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond.

Wiseman Shows How He Can Help Without Demanding the Ball

Wiseman’s most encouraging sequences came close to the basket, where his size and reach created opportunities.

He finished an alley-oop from Tyler Kolek and earned a trip to the foul line while attempting another dunk. Those possessions showed the benefit of giving a ball handler a clear target moving toward the rim.

For a reserve group searching for offensive consistency, that connection could be useful. A center who times his movement well can help turn penetration into a close-range attempt rather than leaving a guard to force a difficult shot.

Wiseman also generated extra opportunities through offensive rebounding. After securing boards, he kept the ball high—a small but valuable habit that can make it harder for nearby defenders to strip possession.

Another sequence demonstrated his ability to rescue an awkward play. Receiving a transition pass from Kolek while still well away from the basket, Wiseman managed to draw a foul instead of allowing the possession to unravel.

These are the contributions that could support his case: finishing available chances, pursuing rebounds and keeping possessions alive.

Defense Will Determine How Strong His Roster Case Becomes

The offensive flashes were encouraging, but they addressed only part of the job.

Wiseman appeared a step slow defensively at times against Philadelphia. To become a dependable depth option, he must show that he can recognize actions early, reach the correct position and challenge attempts without putting teammates under additional pressure.

That requirement carries particular weight after Brown criticized New York’s overall physicality following the opener. A center competing for a roster place needs to help establish resistance around the basket and finish defensive possessions with rebounds.

With Drew Eubanks and other candidates also seeking consideration, Wiseman must turn isolated positives into a repeatable contribution. His size provides an advantage; timing, awareness and decision-making will determine how effectively he uses it.

New York’s established centers allow the team to evaluate him for a limited supporting role. The question is whether Brown can trust him when injuries, foul trouble or a particular matchup create a need.

Nine preseason minutes cannot answer that yet. They did give Wiseman something concrete to build on—and made the next stage of the Knicks’ center competition worth following.