Minnesota Timberwolves: Andrew Wiggins Scoring Guide

4. The Pull-Up Jumper

This is one of fans’ least favorite parts of Andrew Wiggins’ game. He is so athletic that he should not have to take these shots as often as he chooses. Yet, Wiggins will often fall back on the pull-up jumper as his default when times get tough.

He particularly likes to shoot his pull-ups at one of the elbows. He will often search these spots out on the floor. Wiggins likes the left elbow in particular, as he has taken more shots from this area than any other on the floor.

Andrew Wiggins will often take one dribble from the three-point line, usually off a ball screen, and pull-up at the elbow. In watching his film I would sometimes see him go a whole game without ever making one of these shots. Take for example the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 25.

On the above example, Wiggins is going one on one with his man. Wiggins already has his dribble and brings the ball back behind the three-point line.

He then uses his momentum and takes one dribble inside the line and pulls up for a jumper around the elbow area. Wiggins is wide open when he takes this shot yet is not able to knock it down.

On this example, Andrew Wiggins uses a  ball screen by Gorgui Dieng to get past his man. Anthony Davis is waiting as the next level of the defense. Instead of attacking the paint on the slower man Wiggins dribbles back to the elbow to pull-up. He then clangs it off of the back of the rim.