James Wiseman

Assigned the task of keeping a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead safe, some players would prefer to err on the side of caution. Among the players not on that list: James Wiseman. Calculated in his move after seeing his defender retreat on a potential dribble handoff, the Detroit Pistons big man puts the possession on his shoulders, exploding out of his stance on the way to the rim. In need of a counter after Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards cuts off his angle, Wiseman mixes agility and power, hop-stepping his way back into the paint before towering through the air for a rim-bending flush. An unsung hero in the Pistons’ road win on March 11, 2024, the former No. 2 pick needed only 17 minutes to become one of the men of the hour, stabilizing the bench with 10 points — eight of which coming in the fourth — along with nine rebounds, one assist, and one block.