Are Minnesota Timberwolves finally seeing the real Andrew Wiggins?

Efficient and productive, Andrew Wiggins seems like a changed player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Is he capable of sustaining that and finally begin to reach his potential?

Since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2014, Andrew Wiggins‘ level of play has frustrated and dumbfounded everyone across the NBA landscape, particularly fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

A career 19.6 points per game scorer, he shouldn’t be classed with the likes of former top picks Kwame Brown and Michael Olowokandi in the bust category. It’s hard to argue, though, that Wiggins has come close to reaching the two-way MVP-level ceiling many assumed he was destined to reach coming out of Kansas.

After five years of polarizing production shrouded in a max contract, Wiggins seems to have discovered an alternative route to putting up huge numbers and he’s certainly better off because of it.

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Through the Minnesota Timberwolves first 10 games, the swingman is averaging 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, which would all be career-best marks.

Even more impressive has been the elusive combination of volume and efficiency Wiggins has struggled to find. Of the nine players attempting more than 20 shots a game, his field goal percentage of 47.3 ranks third.

This isn’t the first time Wiggins has produced at a similar level. In 2016-17, he averaged 23.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on a shooting line of .452/.356/.760, and yet nobody really thought anything of it given how little it helped Minnesota win games.

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The difference between that season and the current one is not just the early success of the Wolves, but how Wiggins has gone about producing the best numbers of his career, creating a level of optimism that they’re here to stay for the long haul.

Before the season, Ryan Saunders expected big things from Wiggins and put that out that time and time again to the public. The head coach was adamant about cutting down on long 2-pointers while hunting for efficient looks both at the rim and beyond the arc.

So far, Wiggins has obliged. He’s been more selective with shots between 10 feet and the 3-point line and it’s helped him become more efficient with them.

Rather than place him in isolation sets that stagnate Minnesota’s offense, Saunders has allowed Wiggins the chance to create off movement. Wiggins ranks 13th in pick-and-roll sets and 10th in drives per game. Both figures contribute to over 70 percent of his scoring average.

Always a high-flying athlete, Wiggins has certainly been aided by the fourth-fastest pace in the league. The Wolves had never ranked higher than 10th in any of Wiggins’ previous five seasons — that was during his rookie year.

Whatever gaudy production Wiggins has produced over the years has rarely translated to the win column. It’s why few were impressed with his 20-point outings and the little else that complemented it.

This season, Minnesota is off to an encouraging 6-4 start with Wiggins leading the way in scoring in seven of those games, Meanwhile, his true shooting percentage ranks ahead of even Kawhi Leonard.

Despite the hesitancy some may have this early into the season, there isn’t a reason Wiggins can’t maintain this level of production moving forward and beyond. Saunders will continue to place him in those same spots. It’ll be on Wiggins to exude a level of discipline that sheds his bad habits while continuing to develop better ones.

If the newfound outlets of productivity remain for Wiggins, perhaps the Wolves can begin to return to the path that had them on the track to perennial playoff contention in the Western Conference.