The highlight shines brightest on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren of NBA champion Oklahoma Metropolis, however there’s one other Thunder participant who deserves consideration: guard Aaron Wiggins.
Sure, that Wiggins. The man who dropped the mic Tuesday on the OKC Thunder victory celebration.
The previous Maryland standout is the type of position participant who might explode with extra utilization. Wiggins, who averaged 22.9 minutes a recreation this season, is a two-way wing with size, self-discipline and offensive polish.
In a distinct state of affairs — one the place he’s not the fifth choice behind an All-Star trio — Wiggins has the potential to make a James Harden-type leap. Not essentially into superstardom, however into that Chauncey Billups, Gilbert Arenas, Jermaine O’Neal tier: gamers who had been good on one workforce, then turned nice as soon as given the keys elsewhere.
Wiggins, who calls himself a “late bloomer,” averaged 12.9 factors this season. The 2021 second-round choose (fifty fifth total) is a possible 50/40/80 risk who defends at a excessive degree and strikes with out the ball like a veteran. His really feel for the sport, athleticism and angle are tailored for a much bigger alternative. This isn’t a participant who must be force-fed photographs to be efficient — he’s somebody who can scale up with out sacrificing effectivity or rhythm.
That’s why a workforce in NBA limbo such because the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and Miami Warmth — not unhealthy sufficient to tank, not ok to contend — ought to be on the telephone with OKC.
Wiggins received’t come low cost. He’s in that uncommon house between being untouchable and being a beneficial commerce chip. But when a entrance workplace has the imaginative and prescient and persistence to construct round him or elevate him into a number one position, the payoff might be large.
We’ve seen it earlier than. Harden in Houston. Billups in Detroit. Arenas in Washington. O’Neal in Indiana.
Wiggins might be subsequent.
