Minnesota Timberwolves: Two Month Wiggins Challenge
It appears that lost in some of my internal dialogue battles regarding how to approach the Minnesota Timberwolves’ immediate future in the face of mass injury and identity crisis, I have yet to mention anything about prized rookie (and now current offensive horse) Andrew Wiggins and his 29-point effort in the Wolves’ last game on Saturday.
It was his pinnacle effort so far. And we might be seeing it more often, too, with the news that conditional offensive juggernaut Kevin Martin is going to miss about two months with his fractured hand. So now it really will be Wiggins’ show. It didn’t take long, and it isn’t out of choice, but we will learn a lot in the next two months.
I assume that plenty will be ugly and forced and will give off a kind of overwhelmed vibe that someone in his position is probably due. But there should also be moments of awe-inspiring talent and athleticism, giving us fans a window into a future bigger and brighter than we were forced to adopt with Kevin Love. I hope there is more of the latter, and the current showcase has me feeling confident.
This is what I want to see while Kevin Martin is out:
Even though the Wolves will be getting Thaddeus Young back after his mother’s death, Wiggins will be the main man on the perimeter. He’s already done more than I figured he would so far; I assumed about 20 minutes a game in an undefined position, moving between the two and the three depending on who was playing well.
But in the past three games he has seen an uptick in minutes, averaging 34 a game. This is going to continue, but they also have to be efficient minutes. On Nov. 19 against the New York Knicks, he had five turnovers in 29 minutes, but in the following two games he had only two turnovers in 74 minutes. In the current situation he is going to try and make plays which will lead to some mistakes, but it will be important to find a balance, especially with the load on his shoulders. It will be interesting to watch.
I want Wiggins to shoot the ball. I want him to realize the injury ravaged situation right now in Minnesota and see their record and realize that record doesn’t really matter. I want him to realize that the fans and the organization want to see a player that, for the first time in a long time, can end the debate about whether so-and-so can be the best player on a championship team, not raise the same question that we all asked in earnest about Kevin Love. I want Wiggins to show us enough to satisfy that franchise question, even if it’s just enough to make us feel good when those bad games present themselves (oh, and they will).
I want Wiggins to be excited about the opportunity that has been afforded him and put to rest any of those questions about motor and aggression when the game is on the line. I think it will continue to come with confidence, but I still want him to be aggressive even when things aren’t quite clicking on offense. The current roster probably says he will have to be regardless.
I want Wiggins to keep shooting threes. Fifty percent from there certainly won’t continue, but it’s a promising sign nevertheless and he should feel good what he’s done there.
Even though there aren’t a lot of people to pass to right now, I want Wiggins to boost that 0.8 assists per game rate to something a little more flattering. If that number is more a representation of his questionable ball-handling, then we’ve answered our own question, and he should know to make improving it a priority.
Finally, I want Wiggins to send a message in these two months. Nothing arrogant or in-your-face, just something to remind the Wolves franchise that no matter what move they fancy, be it trading veterans or adding pieces that may seem counterproductive, that it’s okay. Everything will be okay as long as he is around. I want him to establish a tone that sets a different level of optimism. I think I’ve already got it.