SF | 6-8, 199 LBS
2014-15 season: 82 games, 82 starts, 16.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 43.7 FG%, 31 3P%, 76 FT%
What would it take for a team to forget about a three-time NBA All-Star and a two-time All-NBA Second Team member?
When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Kevin Love last August to Cleveland that was the big question. What could the team get in return for Love that was somewhat fair?
After months and months of speculation, President of Basketball Operations finally found a move that he was comfortable with, and now we know why.
Andrew Wiggins, the 2014 No. 1 pick out of Kansas, was Saunders’ main target.
Wiggins was the 19-year-old kid that LeBron James failed to mention in a certain letter. He had an awkward summer of answering questions about a probable trade. It wasn’t easy for him.
But playing basketball during his rookie season sure looked like it was.
The fact of the matter is that the Wolves probably weren’t going to make the playoffs with Love on the roster in a loaded Western Conference. He’s a great player, but even with a healthy Ricky Rubio the year before, the Wolves weren’t able to reach .500.
So Saunders pressed the “start new game” button and prepared to build the team around Wiggins.
After year one, it looks like Saunders made the right move.
Wiggins, as you probably already know, ran away with the Rookie of the Year award. He shined on the big stage and won the Rising Stars MVP in Barclays. He had two of his best games of the season against James, Love and the Cavaliers. Just a coincidence? Probably not.
Did he have some hiccups? Sure. Every rookie does. But despite the Wolves winning just 16 games, there was more hope and excitement than the year before when they won 40.
By the looks of his rookie season, Wiggins is on his way to be a star in the NBA.
Top Three Games Of The Season
3.) April 10 at Los Angeles Lakers
Wiggins did his best James Harden impression in this one, making 15-of-16 free throws. That, of course, was a career-high. He also added 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals. Wiggins shot 7-of-15 from the field.
2.) January 17 at Denver Nuggets
In this 113-105 road win over the Denver Nuggets, Wiggins finished with a team-high 31 points to go with nine rebounds, four assists, three blocks and one steal. It was a fantastic all-around game from the former Kansas star. He was also very efficient, shooting 11-of-17 from the field, a career- high 4-of-5 from the three-point line (this is when fans should light up) and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. He led the team with a +/- of +13.
1.) January 31 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
This is an especially memorable game for Timberwolves fans. No, they didn’t win. But it marked the return of Love to the Target Center,.
Wiggins made the Wolves look like the winners of that trade, finishing with a team-high 33 points to go with four steals, one rebound and one steal. He was also pretty efficient from the field, shooting 14-of-25 from the field, 3-of-4 from the three-point line and 2-of-3 from the free-throw line.
Love finished with 14 points, shooting 6-of-14 from the field, 1-of-5 from three and 1-of-4 from the free-throw line.
Top Offseason Objectives
Strength
Much like fellow rookie Zach LaVine, a big focus for Wiggins will be his weight. He’s just 20 years old, so much of this will come naturally, but it will be important for him to focus on lifting and eating right to make sure he can take the wear and tear of his second full season. At times during his first season, he noticeably hit the “rookie wall” and a lot of that was due to him taking a beating when he would get down on the low block. Adding 5-10 pounds of muscle would certainly help.
3-Point Shot
Wiggins finished the year shooting 31 percent from the three-point line, which is a respectable percentage for a rookie wing.
He tailed off towards the end of the year, more likely than not due to that wall we were talking about before and the fact that more defenders focused on Wiggins. It’s tough to get open looks from deep when you’re one of the team’s only offensive threats.
In his first 47 games, Wiggins shot 33-of-90 from three, good for 36.7 percent.
His last 35 games weren’t as great.
Wiggins made just 6-of-36 three-pointers, good (or bad, I guess) for 16.7 percent.
Again, much of that had to do with Wiggins simply wearing down. And that’s to be expected for a 19-year-old fresh out of college. He’s used to playing 35-40 games a season, not 82.
Expect him to be around the 35 percent range during his second season in the league.
Ball Handling
This has been a knock on Wiggins over the years. He’ll improve because he has to. If he wants to be the team’s primary offensive weapon, he’ll need to create his shot in more ways than simply going to the low block and spinning by his defender.
It looks like he’s well on his way.
They Said It…
“His potential is through the roof. He can be dynamic. It feels like he’s not even loading and he’s jumping at the top of the backboard. I don’t even know if he’s using all of his muscles. He’s like a pogo stick. He’s still really raw. His potential is amazing.” – Atlanta Hawks All-Star wing Kyle Korver on Wiggins’ potential and his athleticism.