NBA Draft: Re-drafting the 2014 NBA Draft’s first round

2014 NBA Redraft: 15. Andrew Wiggins, Atlanta Hawks

Had Joel Embiid been healthy, Andrew Wiggins would not have been the No. 1 overall pick. That’s part of the issue when discussing a guy burdened by such tremendous expectations and pressure at an early age.

Even so, the Canadian prospect was projected to fall no lower than third. Many believed his athleticism would translate to both ends of the court, enough to anoint him the next NBA superstar and a possible MVP. Wiggins hasn’t been a bust like so many other top draft picks both before and after him, but to say he’s come close to reaching the hype is a massive overstatement.

A career 19.5 point per game scorer, Wiggins has managed to put up buckets with relative ease since entering the league. The only issue is that’s just about all he does. His efficiency leaves room for improvement, having shot just 44.4 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from the field.

Yet so many of those efficiency struggles can be attributed to the role he was asked to play in Minnesota by virtue of his standing as a top pick. Now a role player alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green for the Golden State Warriors, Wiggins can work on simply fitting in instead of having to stand out, which better suits his quieter personality. The early returns offer hope.

In his first full season in the Bay, Wiggins is shooting career-highs from both the field and 3-point line. He’s been praised for his defensive effort on numerous occasions by people within the organization.

He’ll never be a superstar capable of living up to the max extension he signed back in 2017, but there’s a version of Wiggins that contributes to winning basketball and the Warriors are probably the best team to help him reach it.