Andrew Wiggins’ in-season improvement has been nothing short of breathtaking. Just two months ago, one prominent website suggested that the struggling youngster would ultimately fare no better than James Posey. Suddenly, he’s now a runaway Rookie of the Year favorite, and he has his teammates dreaming big of awards and accolades to come.
While the 20-year-old’s labors in November and December were concerning, they were also understandable. Wiggins was a rookie playing for a team ravaged by injuries and forced to shoulder the two-way load reserved for the game’s top stars. Any conclusions gleaned from his first 30 or so games were irresponsible. Context always matters, and his youth, as well as the Minnesota Timberwolves’ construct, made his individual success unsurprisingly hard to come by.
Anyone watching still saw aspects of Wiggins’ game that were highly encouraging, too. He was frequently the best athlete on the floor; showed a better long-range stroke than anyone anticipated; and locked down defensively with the vigor of a veteran.
It’s only logical that additional experience would yield additional comfort, and that’s what’s transpired for Wiggins since that incendiary FiveThirtyEight article – which solely used on-court numbers to support the Posey comparison, by the way – was published.
While scoring 30 points on 50 percent shooting and helping limit James Harden to 7-of-20 from the field in his team’s loss to the Houston Rockets on Monday, the birthday boy exhibited his rare blend of precocious defensive savvy and incredible natural athleticism in one perfect sequence:
That’s the two-way prowess that makes Wiggins a wildly promising prospect, and it was evident earlier this season, too. You just had to look a bit longer to see it. With his confidence growing by the game, and now playing with a respectable roster, he’s playing like the guy some irrationally called the “next LeBron James” two years ago.
Wiggins isn’t LeBron and won’t ever be. Though he’s one of few on par with The King athletically, the Canadian sensation’s basketball identity drastically differs from James’. The latter is an effective point guard and the former a wing all the way.
After one collegiate season and early NBA performance that cast major doubt on Wiggins’ viability as a playmaker, he’s shown off ball-handling and passing chops recently that some thought would take years to develop. Additional comfort with his handle has yielded a greater share of shots at the rim, where Wiggins uses his surreal hang-time to take bumps from defenders yet consistently finish with touch.
As he’s navigated to the paint, however, Wiggins has noticed officials failing to afford him the benefit of doubt they do Harden, James, and other luminaries, which is not shocking. Reputation influences referees, and his is in the early stages of being built.
After picking up his first career technical foul for arguing a non-call last night, it’s obvious that Wiggins believes he sped up that process.
“I needed that,” he told the Houston Chronicle of the tech. “I started getting some calls after I did that. Before that, I didn’t get a call. I drove to the basket seven times, maybe six were fouls, but I’m a rookie.”
True, but Wiggins certainly hasn’t been playing like one over the past two months.
As his ascent up the league pecking order continues this season and beyond, it’s safe to say that Wiggins will increasingly receive treatment from officials that befits the star he’s becoming.
[Video via cjzerovids]