Minnesota Timberwolves: Time for Andrew Wiggins to change

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images /
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Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images /

Decision-making

I truly believe all of Andrew Wiggins’ issues this season come from him adjusting to not being the primary scoring option. Jimmy Butler and Jamal Crawford are tied for the highest usage percentages on the team. Towns and Nemana Bjelica are the best 3-point shooters, yet it is Wiggins who leads the team in shots per game.

On the offensive end, Wiggins’ decision-making has actually gotten much better. He hits the open man in the corner more, and Butler’s prolonged absence has given him more flexibility. Despite playing the 2-guard spot in Butler’s absence, Thibodeau has started to use Wiggins as a screener, and it has really allowed him to shine by giving him space to operate. He doesn’t always set the hardest screens, but he has incredible speed that allows him to slip screens very well and get to the rim in a hurry.

Thibodeau using Wiggins in screens is a massive improvement because it causes opposing defenses to switch a secondary defender on him. Some teams have chose to trap him, others let him fire away from mid-range hoping he will have an off night. But when Wiggins gets slower defenders like Milos Teodosic on him, he chooses to pull-from mid-range.

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  • This is ridiculous, as his speed gives him enough of an advantage to at least draw a foul. Wiggins also has a wonderful post game for a wing player. He is in the 86th percentile as a post-up scorer, netting 1.05 points per possession on post-ups, per NBA.com. The post is a big part of his game, but it needs to be emphasized even more in place of his mid-range game.

    My favorite adjustment I have seen from Wiggins is on defense. He has started to defend at a much higher level as of late, and has had a hand in slowing down some of the league’s better scorers.He still has a long way to go on that end of the floor. But as of late he has been caught out of position slightly less.

    Wiggins is starting to understand that depending on the opponent’s personnel, he doesn’t necessarily need to be so far off in help position. With the amount of lethal shooters in today’s NBA, it can be foolish to give even an inch of daylight to your matchup. Wiggins has been staying attached to shooters. He has fought over screens and generally showed fight. In the month of January, Minnesota has the 19th-best defensive rating in the league, seven spots better than their overall season defensive rating.

    Andrew Wiggins is struggling between being two different players. Sometimes he is rookie-year Wiggins, firing up a large quantity of mid-range jumpers and avoiding 3-pointers like the plague. But in certain moments he is the do-it-all defensive force that Thibodeau wants him to become. With Wiggins’ length and quickness, he can pester any ball-handler. Thibodeau has also started to put him on opposing team’s point guards more, something I have always been in support of because it gives him a clear indicator of his role.

    The Timberwolves are starting to jell and establish a clear identity. But once Jimmy Butler is inserted back into the lineup, Wiggins needs to continue to bring big contributions, even if it doesn’t come with the big scoring nights.

    Next: 2017-18 Week 15 NBA Power Rankings

    2017-18 is shaping up to be the first season Wiggins is going to finish as a net positive in plus/minus rating, and it is no coincidence that he is also trending toward the best effective field goal percentage of his career. He has hit over 40 percent of his 3-pointers during these past five games, and unlocking his 3-and-D potential is the key to the Timberwolves taking the next step.