Kansas Jayhawks: How Is Andrew Wiggins Doing in the NBA
By Alec Tilson
Former Kansas Jayhawks forward Andrew Wiggins (22) – Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Former member of the Kansas Jayhawks and current Minnesota Timberwolves player Andrew Wiggins is entering his first All-Star Weekend, and the 2014 number one overall draft pick cemented himself as the NBA’s top rookie performer through his first 53 professional games.
The 19-year-old Canadian – one of eight 19-year-old players who have appeared in an NBA game this regular season – ranks 12th in the league in minutes played (1,829) and 20th in two-point field goals attempted (598).
Basically, the Timberwolves threw Wiggins in the deep end of the pool, and here is what they’ve found out:
Offense
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- Per-Game Averages: 34.5 MIN, 15.2 PTS, 4.3 REB, 1.9 AST, 1.1 STL, .6 BLK, 2 TO
- Leads all Rookies in points per game, three-point percentage (.358) and minutes played. (Source of link: InsideHoops.com)
- Between December 23rd and February 2nd, Wiggins posted double-digit points in 22 consecutive games – including 12 games of 20 points or more.
- Points Per Game by month:
- November: 12.3 PPG
- December: 14.6 PPG
- January: 19.8 PPG
Wiggins showed the ability to finish at the rim (totaling 41 dunks), shoot from range and score in transition. His 1.9 assists per game shows he’s not a distributor yet. With his size and skill combination, he has to create for his teammates at a better rate – even if he is playing with a pieced-together roster. Still, he’s already established himself as a 15 points-per-night guy and flashes upside of a 20-25 points-per-night guy.
Grade: 9/10
Next: How Has Wiggins Done On Defense?