Andrew Wiggins and the Minnesota Timberwolves both came into the 2017-18 season with big expectations, and only the Wolves really reached anything close to what they’d hoped. Minnesota made the postseason on the last day of the regular season, then got taken out in short order by the Houston Rockets in the first round.
Wiggins, meanwhile, took a step back after signing a five-year, $146 million extension on his contract that begins next season. Wiggins played in all 82 games for the second straight year, but he did see a dip in production across the board. Sure, part of it had to do with Jimmy Butler coming over from Chicago, but it was still a rough year for Wiggins.
Jace Frederick of the Pioneer Press spoke to Wiggins and chronicled some of the disappointing numbers that made up his most recent season. Wiggins’ points per game fell to 17.7 this season, while his field goal percentage (43.8), free throw attempts per game (3.8) and free-throw percentage (64.3) all declined.
Then there’s the advanced numbers. Wiggins put up the worst player efficiency rating of his career (13), tied his worst win share total (2.1), second worst VORP (-0.4), and second worst box plus-minus (-2.5). Or you can just let him say it himself: he didn’t have a good year.
“I didn’t have the best season,” Wiggins said. “Learned a lot, but I don’t think I had the best season. It’s motivation for the summer.”
The good news is that both Wiggins and Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau seem confident that things will get better for him.
“I think we saw down the stretch him playing a more complete game,” Thibodeau said. “I think he can build off that.”
The Wolves hope the intensity and physicality of playoff basketball was an eye opener for Wiggins, and lit a fire that will spark his improvement.
Wiggins is confident his game “can go up” from here, noting the adjustments everyone had to make to fit in with the Wolves’ revamped roster this season.
“I know next year will be better,” he said.
There’s certainly a lot he can work on over the summer to get better. Last summer was one filled with talk about Wiggins’ value and whether an extension was warranted with his potential. It’s a potential we certainly haven’t seen, which means he will have a lot to prove come fall.
