Minnesota Timberwolves: The rise and fall of Andrew Wiggins

A promising beginning

Despite a slow start to his rookie year, Andrew Wiggins would finish the season strong and end up easily winning the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award, putting up averages of 16.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 steal and 0.6 blocks per game on 44 percent shooting from the field, 31 percent from 3-point range and 76 percent from the free-throw line.

Not world-breaking numbers by any stretch but to most, it still seemed only a matter of time before Wiggins became the next great NBA wing.

In year two, Wiggins would break the 20-point threshold and he’d do it on improved efficiency too.

He’d carry this offensive momentum into his third season where – at just 21 years of age – he would put up nearly 24 points a night, a feat accomplished by only 13 players in NBA history at this young an age.

Although he’d shown little growth in terms of his all-around game, Wiggins scoring prowess was putting him in some impressive company, plus he still had a ton of time still ahead of him to continue honing his craft, going from a scoring star to a full-blown superstar.

In fact his coach at the time, Tom Thibodeau said that Wiggins was just “scratching the surface” of his full potential and at that point, most people definitely believed him. And based on what Wiggins had shown us up to that point, we had no reason not to believe it.