The talent of Andrew Wiggins has never been in question. He was the No. 1-ranked player in the country during the 2013 recruiting cycle ahead of players like Julius Randle, Jabari Parker, Aaron Gordon, and Joel Embiid. Wiggins chose Kansas for his one year of college basketball.
He wasn’t dominating in his time in Lawrence, but there were moments when he flashed the brilliance that made him the top high school player in the country.
Andrew Wiggins will be attending Kansas
— Grant Traylor (@GrantTraylor) May 14, 2013
The 6-foot-8, 195-pound, Huntington Prep product chose Kansas over fellow blue bloods Kentucky, Florida State and UNC. He always possessed elite athleticism, which allowed him to flourish on both ends of the floor. He was the unquestioned No. 1 overall pick from the time he arrived in Lawrence.
Andrew Wiggins meets with the media for the first time after our camp game. #kubball pic.twitter.com/a1N3oyc0bA
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) June 19, 2013
Cavaliers Drafted Wiggins No. 1 Overall In 2014: Two Months Later Traded Him To Minnesota For Kevin Love
After a successful freshman season at Kansas, Andrew Wiggins was taken No. 1 overall in the 2014 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was chosen to play alongside Kyrie Irving in hopes of rebuilding the franchise that had suffered four consecutive losing seasons since LeBron James abruptly took his talents to Miami following the 2009-10 season.
Wiggins never played a game for the Cavs as he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for All-Star forward Kevin Love. This occurred once LBJ decided in July that he was returning to Cleveland to complete some unfinished business.
The Prodigal son @KingJames returns, welcomed by his family w/his rings & dignity intact. His best day are ahead of him. #ClevelandCavaliers
— Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) July 11, 2014
@KingJames Welcome home my friend. See you this fall!!! pic.twitter.com/6rj8uwiHCp
— Urban Meyer (@CoachUrbanMeyer) July 11, 2014
Part of the deal that aided LeBron James’ return to Cleveland was for the Cavs to trade for Kevin Love, which meant the Cavs would have to include Wiggins in the trade.
Andrew Wiggins was main piece Timberwolves acquired from Cavaliers in trade for Kevin Love. Here’s how they stack up pic.twitter.com/YfLf52N2KW
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 24, 2015
Wiggins Had Moments In The Twin Cities But Never Reached His Full Potential
Wiggins put up quality numbers playing his first six seasons in the Twin Cities. But there was always this sense that he had another level. His talent was exceeding his impact and he would never flourish in the doldrums of Minnesota. The T-Wolves made the playoffs once and were swept like a rug by the Rockets. Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns were always considered great talents but not guys who could lead a franchise. In 2019 the T-Wolves and Warriors agreed to trade Wiggins to the Dubs for D’Angelo Russell.
Warriors Culture Has Been Great For Wiggins: He Deserves To Be An All-Star This Season
For the first time in his career, Wiggins could sit back and really learn from experienced future Hall of Famers and winners. During his first season with the Warriors in 2020, Wiggins finally started putting it all together and gradually became a larger part of the offense.
Head coach Steve Kerr raved about his two-way ability, length and athleticism. Kerr continuously mentioned that the Warriors traded for Wiggins because of his defensive versatility. Wiggins guards the opponent’s best perimeter player and at a high level. Wiggins also averaged 18.6 points per game on 47.7 percent shooting from the floor.
Kerr continues to rave about what the Warriors have in Wiggins.
“Wigs one of those guys who can fall out of bed and get 18 points. Just because of his ability to run the floor and get easy buckets and all that stuff.
Honestly, the main reason we brought Wigs here, was to be a versatile defender because that’s what we missed most on the roster.”
It's worth giving a fresh look at the #Warriors' decisions in recent yearshttps://t.co/KkOZFfBbuO
— Warriors Nation (@WarriorNationCP) October 18, 2021
Wiggins Is An All-Star Caliber Player
Wiggins has been even better in 2021-22 and Steve Kerr and Steph Curry want him to be recognized for his efforts by being named an All-Star.
In December, Kerr told Yahoo Sports that Wiggins is one of the best two-way players in the league.
“Night in and night out he gives us 18 to 20 points. He’s shooting 42% from three. He’s guarding the most difficult player on the court every single night on the other end. He’s taken on the defensive role that is crucial to our team with Klay Thompson out.”
“And obviously we’ve had a great start to the season so I think Wiggs deserves to be an All-Star.”
Andrew Wiggins is 4th in All-Star voting in the West frontcourt.
Only LeBron, Jokic and PG are ahead of him. pic.twitter.com/cfxzYMpR6V
— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 6, 2022
Steph piggybacked his coach’s sentiments in an interview with NBC Sports.
“Wiggs has been so consistent all year the way he’s playing on both ends of the floor,” Curry told NBC Sports. “Don’t want to get too ahead of myself but No. 22 should be in Cleveland this year the way he’s hooping.”
https://twitter.com/gswpressed/status/1477474063580864512?s=20
A combination of a healthy Curry, Wiggins and Thompson is on the horizon very soon. The league is on notice, as the Warriors are championship contenders.
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