Andrew Wiggins has been through more than most top NBA draft picks have had to deal with in their rookie season.
It began with all of the hype leading in to the draft, then the focus was on him becoming the second Canadian player to be selected first overall in as many years. Then it was LeBron James and his decision to return to Cleveland, which complicated both the immediate and long-term future for Wiggins. Soon after, the Cavaliers traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a package for Kevin Love and suddenly Wiggins had been moved from a projected title contender to a team that was destined to be among the worst in the NBA.
However, for as much adversity as Wiggins was forced to deal with, he has kept his head up the entire way and handled every turn with confidence and focus. It took some time for the young star to get accustomed to life in Minnesota, as well as to learn how to maximize his potential at the NBA level, but after a brief adjustment period it’s clear that Wiggins is running away with the NBA Rookie of the Year award honors.
Top Of His Class
Wiggins leads all rookie scorers with 15.2 points per game this season to go with 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists. No other rookie scorer has averaged double-digit points this season with the exception of Jabari Parker who is out for the year with a torn ACL.
In fact, Wiggins’ Timberwolves teammate Zach LaVine might have the next best numbers along with Philadelphia 76ers rookie K.J. McDaniels, but neither one has been able to match what Wiggins has been able to do to this point. Most noticeable has been the steady improvement that Wiggins has shown with every passing week this season and if he can continue to progress and stay healthy there is no doubt he will take home the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Getting Better By The Month
The 19-year-old has increased his gap on the rookie scoring lead incrementally throughout the season and it is clear he is becoming more comfortable at the pro level. The monthly splits he has posted from October through January have illustrated that as his averages for points, rebounds, assists, and his field goal percentage have gone up with every passing month.
Wiggins has averaged 22 points per game in January, which is up more than 10 points after he averaged 11.6 points in October and November. Meanwhile, Wiggins shot 40.1% from the field in October and November, then shot 40.9% from the field in December, before making a noticeable leap in January where he has shot 50.3% from the field. Wiggins has made the necessary adjustments to his game in order to complement the size and speed he has been forced to deal with at the NBA level and the athletic edge he has maintained has been a big part of his success.
Getting Better All Around
It was obvious from the beginning that it would take some time for Wiggins to find his game at the NBA level but it is clear now that he has progressed ahead of schedule. Wiggins has steadily progressed with every part of his game and that includes two key areas that have stood out.
First, Wiggins has hit 41.4 percent of his three-point shots compared to 35.1% as the league average. Meanwhile, his 12.0% turnover rate is also better than the 13.4% league average. The fact that he has been able to steadily progress in every area and maintain numbers above the league average despite playing on one of the worst teams in the NBA is proof of how far along in the process he is.
He is already so far ahead of his peers at this point and the fact that he continues to raise his level of play has left no doubt he is the clear runaway candidate for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
