Andrew Wiggins Needs Flashes of Brilliance to Continue

Andrew Wiggins needs the flashes of brilliance to continue in order to cement his status as a star in the association.

When you’re labeled as the second coming of LeBron James, it’s difficult to validate those sky-high projections. Andrew Wiggins isn’t the two-time champion, replicating the iconic figure of the King; he’s Andrew Wiggins. The 2015 Rookie of the Year is etching his own path to greatness and last night was another instance of his potential brilliance.

The Minnesota Timberwolves came into the Staples Center losing 12 straight games to the Los Angeles Clippers, a team known for blitzing others into oblivion and driving up scoreboards. The Timberwolves, relatively inept defensively over the past decade, never allowed Chris Paul and Co. to control the game with their offensive barrage.

Minnesota didn’t trail by more than seven points in the first half. Keeping within reach of the heavy favorites, Andrew Wiggins fueled the Timberwolves’ aggressive approach in the first half. He received help from stud teammate Karl-Anthony Towns in the second half, but it was the second-year dynamo from Kansas who had the go-ahead jumper in the fourth quarter to help clinch Minnesota’s 108-102 win.

Even though referee Lauren Holtkamp’s controversial technical foul called on Chris Paul late in the fourth quarter is a buzzing topic, Andrew Wiggins helped initiate the arguably shocking result of the night. With 31 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the floor, the scoring output wasn’t the most encouraging aspect of Wiggins performance.

The intensity showcased in the first quarter was a necessity for Wiggins, who has been questioned for taking ill-advised shot attempts and not harnessing his physical ability to score and create off the dribble. Packing exceptional power and explosion into a 6’8″, 199-pound frame, more than half of Wiggins’ shots come from either the pull-up jumper or catch and shoot variety.

He’s not utilizing his skill set effectively, showing his basketball IQ still needs sharpening. Wednesday night, something clicked that had the scintillating wing acquire a heightened sense of aggression.

Most defenders aren’t going to handle Wiggins off the dribble, due to his guard-like agility and condor-like wingspan to get to the rim. Last night, Wes Johnson, Luc Mbah a Moute and Jamal Crawford all had problems dealing with Wiggins’ blend of power and athleticism. On this post up against Austin Rivers, Wiggins understands he has full control of his options backing down a smaller defender in the post. He can spin off and go for the easy layup, turn around for a jumper or power dribble into an easy right-handed hook. Wiggins takes the optimal route here.

This dominating offensive performance may inspire Wiggins to diversify his offensive approach in games moving forward, instead of taking the low-efficiency attempts from the perimeter. This effort also could give the Timberwolves an incentive to exert complete effort for the remainder of the season.

"“We’re gaining confidence every day,” Wiggins said. “We may lose, but we’re not getting beaten bad and we’re not getting blown out. We may be down by 15 points sometimes, but we’re fighting back and never giving up.”"

Increasing his points per game total (20.8) and shooting percentage (44.8 percent) in his second season in the league, Wiggins has to understand the ceiling of the Timberwolves in order for him to recognize his own sky-high potential. Minnesota isn’t entering the stratosphere of heavyweights without the 20-year-old swingman becoming a two-way threat who contributes in a bevy of categories.

He can have these 30-point performances on the regular, but he’s capable of so much more than putting the ball in the hoop-something many of his teammates can do. You can’t teach Wiggins’ measurements, athleticism or bounce. These aforementioned qualities translate into the ability to create for others, as defenders have to game plan for the offensively gifted talent, and snag boards on the regular.