NBA: 5 players taking a ‘leap’ in their game at the quarter-mark of the season

Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves

Early in his career, Andrew Wiggins had developed a reputation as being a consistent underachiever. After being selected first overall in 2014, he quickly established himself as an inefficient go-to scorer that did little, if anything, else. Over the four following seasons he made modest (which feels generous) improvements, but never made “the leap” that many had hoped for.

However, his scoring prowess and overall potential were enough to convince owner Glen Taylor to offer a five-year maximum extension in October 2017. It was immediately viewed as one of the worst contracts in the league, and by 2019 people wondered if it could get any worse for Minnesota.

2019 was a year that Timberwolves fans try to forget. Jimmy Butler demanded a trade, the team looked miserable, and Tom Thibodeau mishandled the entire situation. On top of all that, Andrew Wiggins, the Timberwolves’ highest-paid player, was (statistically speaking) one of the worst players in the league. The wing finished the season with a -15 net rating and a -2.9 box plus/minus.

These shortcomings were caused to being a matador defense and settling for far too many inefficient, mid-range jump shots in isolation. According to Cleaning the Glass, his usage rate was in the 92nd percentile among wings while his Points Per Shot Attempt and Assist to Usage Ratio were in the 18th and 19th percentile, respectively. In other words, his fairly impressive scoring was detrimental to team success.

So far this season, Wiggins has made a remarkable turnaround for the Timberwolves. Not only is he averaging career highs in traditional stats like points, rebounds, and assists, but advanced stats seem to favor him too. He is averaging career highs in VORP, PER, box plus/minus, and doubled his 2019 win share total after only 11 games. Wiggins looks more engaged than ever and appears to be committed to his improvement.

Part of this is due to a more modern, efficiency-focused approach by the coaching staff. Wiggins is averaging a career-low in mid-range shot attempts, and a career-high in shots coming from behind the arc. While the shooting numbers come with understandable skepticism, his new approach to the game should continue to pay dividends.

Time will tell if this is sustainable, but we are witnessing the best basketball of his career. He’s always been a skilled scorer, but now he’s finally able to make a positive impact. Thus far, the Timberwolves outscore opponents by 10.7 points when Wiggins plays, providing Karl-Anthony Towns with the secondary-option he deserves.

Towns’ stagger numbers and Wiggins’ improvement have vaulted the Timberwolves into the playoff picture. If Wiggins continues to build off of his recent success, he can turn the Timberwolves into a bona fide contender for years to come.