If you’ve recently unsubscribed from your cable provider, haven’t cozied up to a bar with a big screen TV in front of your face, or you simply stopped watching the Timberwolves because they’re so bad, we’ve got news for you.
Andrew Wiggins is really good at basketball. The Wolves are still bad; losers of 13 straight – but Wiggins is playing really well.
The 19-year-old, whom the Cavaliers took with the first pick in the NBA Draft and subsequently traded to Minnesota for Kevin Love, is on an impressive rookie roll. Over his past eight games, Wiggins is averaging 21.5 points on 52 percent shooting, including an impressive 42 percent from beyond the arc.
Andrew Wiggins' last eight games: 21.5 points per game on 52% shooting, including 42% on three-pointers. Still six weeks from turning 20.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) January 8, 2015
Deadspin notes that Wiggins is proving to be a dangerous scorer on a team that really doesn’t have another threatening weapon on offfense. But it’s not just that Wiggins is scoring, it’s how he’s scoring.
“There’s a slew of quick-trigger jumpers from the wing, a nifty finish in transition, a muscled-in layup out of the post, and then, at about the 3:10 mark, there’s that spin-and-drive that’s been his signature move since high school. Wiggins has been playing like this throughout his streak of good games, and he’s taken on the look of a polished NBA player, one with an array of skills that you can point at and say, “Yeah, that move is going to work for him for a long time.'”
Andrew Wiggins’ shot chart in his last eight (51.5 FG%). Killin’ it at the rim and shooting well from 3. Great sign. pic.twitter.com/M98NySuWKy
— Michael Gallagher (@MikeSGallagher) January 8, 2015
According to Complex, Wiggins has scored at least 20 points in seven of his past eight games, including a 27-point effort against Love and the Cavaliers on Dec. 23. Wiggins’ 25 points in Wednesday’s loss to the Suns was almost 28, but his game-winning 3-point attempt at the buzzer narrowly missed. Check out his game highlights in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSW5QNmQFVA
Wiggins’ strong play in late December and early this month earned him the top spot in the latest NBA.com rookie rankings.
