You could make the argument that the player with the biggest chip on his shoulder heading into the 2014-15 NBA season has to be Andrew Wiggins. The first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft was only a Cleveland Cavalier for about two months before being shipped off to the frozen tundra of Minnesota in exchange for Kevin Love. And while Love is busy enjoying his new existence in the latest iteration of an NBA Big Three, it’s up to Wiggins (along with fellow former Cav and #1 overall pick Anthony Bennett) to lead the Timberwolves’ revival.
The first game of the post-Love era came Tuesday night, when the Timberwolves took on the suddenly-depressing Indiana Pacers in the preseason opener for both teams. The game also marked Wiggins’ NBA debut, and he showed signs of why he deserved to be the #1 pick in a loaded draft. The rookie score 18 points on a couple threes (his only two attempts), a sweet turnaround off an isolation, and a put back after crashing the offensive glass. While he didn’t have a particularly spectacular shooting performance (4-of-11 from the field), he made up for it by shooting 8-of-10 from the free throw line. He also notched 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and a steal.
What should make Timberwolves fans excited — did we mention his 32 minutes of playing time and zero (yes, zero) turnovers? — is that Kevin Martin, their de facto leading scorer after Love’s departure, sat out with an injury, forcing Wiggins to shoulder more of the scoring load than he probably would have under normal circumstances. Sure, it’s only one preseason game, but it’s about as good a debut as you can expect from a rookie.
[NBA]
