Andrew Wiggins, the number one pick in the 2014 NBA draft, has been quiet this year competing for the Timberwolves. Well, he hasn’t exactly been quiet, but his franchise has been. You do not hear much about the young talent because of Minnesota’s struggles as a team. Eons away from playoff contention, the Wolves have not exactly been attracting attention, although Wiggins stats deserve it. Wiggins joins the likes of a few greats with his stats this year. Aside from Wiggins, only LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant have averaged greater than 15 points per game before the age of 20 while playing 50 or more games. To be compared to names like that, regardless of your team’s success, is astounding. Especially when you factor in that Wiggins is by no means a ball hog like some people accuse Melo of being. Wiggins takes the third most shots on his squad, although arguably he should be taking the most, by a lot. Wiggins averages 13.1 field goal attempts per game as of now, following Kevin Martin who takes 17 a contest, and Nikola Pekovic, who takes 13.4.
Even being the third option on a team where he easily could be argued to be the first option, he is putting up big numbers and making a difference. Wiggins athleticism has never once been questioned. Easily one of the most athletic players in the league as of now, Wiggins recorded above a 40 inch vertical leap, and has shown his athleticism with highlight reel dunks, light speed quickness and even being able to guard the best players in the league. Just a few nights ago, James Harden tee’d off with Wiggins, pulling an isolation 1v1 with him on the defensive end. Wiggins stuck with the league’s leading scorer and potential MVP, and blocked his shot only to finish on the other end of the fast break with an and one flush. Pretty miraculous for somebody in their first year in the NBA, who just turned 20.
Wiggins not only offers a serious threat offensively, but also defensively. As shown in his isolation with Harden, he can hang with any of the NBA’s greatest. He averages 5 boards and over a steal a contest; with the occasional highlight stuff as well. He really does it all, dropping an average of 15+ points without taking many shots, averaging a staggering 35+% from behind the arc and dropping 30 points games against stacked rosters like the Rockets. This kid really doesn’t appear to have a ceiling, based on the fact he has just entered the league and is crushing his debut. He does not even have a mentor, a veteran to look to for advice, to aspire to be similar to… There are a few things Wiggins has been accused of: being slow mentally and needing to have a bit more competitive edge. Who better to teach him these traits than “The Kid,” himself during his homecoming… Kevin Garnett.
KG. That’s right. He’s coming back to the land of 10,000 lakes. None seem to be more excited than the fans… except maybe young Andrew Wiggins. After being drafted to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Wiggins raved about how excited he was to be playing alongside NBA legend LeBron James, but his right to play by his side was stripped as the Cavs sent Wiggins packing to Minnesota. It was a good thing for Wiggins, he was soon to be one of the top options for the Wolves, but it was bad because he missed out on playing for a championship contending team alongside greats Kyrie and LBJ. But that is not an issue anymore… There could not be a better match for Andrew than Kevin Garnett.
Garnett has been known to be one of the most fiery players the league has ever seen. He plays with a passion that very few can match… and puts his heart on the hardwood every time he gets the chance to play. He has had success, was on the All-NBA First team multiple times and was even named League MVP. He has won a championship in Boston, and knows what it means to compete. THAT. That is exactly what Wiggins needs. A mentor that can push him to be more aggressive, have more fire and push his limits. Because Wiggins seems to not want to step out of his role… He does not want to hog the ball, or do too much. But it is exactly that which is holding him back. I can’t wait to see the effect KG has on Wiggins, and I can’t wait to see how high this kid’s ceiling really is now that he’s got a mentor and a companion to push him to his extremes.
Andrew Wiggins is having a great year and he is under talked about in the league. KG is definitely a fiery player, I’m a big Knicks fan and him and Melo have their misunderstandings. I think Anthony Davis is the best young talent in the league right now, he is an MVP front runner but because of the team he plays on and his youth he is overlooked by players like James, and Harden.
It’s cool how you’re recognizing him even though he may be considered the third option on a team. I know personally from my twelve years of playing softball that it’s not how many times you score a run, but rather how many times you can get a base hit that puts a runner into scoring position. I can empathize with this. Although my contributions weren’t always the biggest like our number four hitter, I made a huge yet relatively unrecognized impact in my three slot. Although I don’t know much about basketball, I’m glad that he’s now in a position where he can develop his skills. Perfection is the goal, and although it’s unattainable it’s always what athletes should strive for.
I don’t follow basketball, but that’s crazy! Averaging more than 15 points per game before the age of 20.. wow. Sounds like there’s only more impressive stuff to come from him.