NBA Draft Prep: Andrew Wiggins

I’m not sure if this is really possible, but by pulling in the unquestioned #1 prospect, Bill Self was considered to have pulled off some kind of recruiting coup. After reclassifying and going to college a year earlier than expected, the Jayhawks surprised many of their own fans by hauling in Wiggins. Big things were expected in Lawrence, which in a way was unfortunate. It was highly unlikely that Wiggins could have lived up to the statistical expectations – not the way Bill Self runs a team, anyway.

Andrew Wiggins came to Kansas as a sure-fire, can’t miss, #1 overall NBA draft pick. Let’s take a look at Wiggins and see what’s up and where he’s going.

Measurables (Depending on where you look)

Height w/ shoes – 6’8"

Weight – 197

Wingspan – 7’0"

Basic Per Game Stats

GP – 35

Min – 32.8

Pts – 17.1

Reb – 5.9

FG% - 44.8

2P% - 49.3

3P% - 34.1

FT% - 77

Asst – 1.5

Stl – 1.2

Blk – 1.0

TO – 2.3

PF – 2.7

Strengths

Defense – Wiggins is expected to step into the NBA and defend at a high level immediately. He has great lateral quickness and has the ability to guard multiple positions – he’s fast enough to stay in front of smaller guards and tall enough to hold his own against bigger wings. As he gets into an NBA training regimen and adds weight to his frame, he should become an even better defender.

Physical tools – The thing that scouts have been drooling over Wiggins for several years now has been his all-around package of physical tools. His size is prototypical of an NBA wing, and he has incredible length. Wiggins is also probably the best all-around athlete in this entire draft class. His second jump is incredibly quick and makes him deadly on the offensive glass.

Weaknesses

Offense – While probably not a true weakness, this is definitely something that Wiggins will need to work on if he is to be a true NBA superstar. According to all reports, his jump shot is actually one of his stronger suits due to his solid mechanics. He showed at Kansas that he can knock down jumpers or score off the dribble. It’s his explosiveness that makes him so dangerous, be it driving to the basket or in the half court as a cutter. It is said that he is still raw with his ball handling, with some scouting reports calling him "loose with the dribble," but that he has the physical tools for that to come around. Wiggins is known as an unselfish player and an evolving playmaker.

Intensity – Wiggins is definitely not the kid looking for the spotlight. He didn’t come to Kansas looking to be BMOC, and he won’t enter the NBA expecting to be LeBron James. According to some draft reports, NBA execs are worried about his overall intensity level owing to his general laid-back attitude. He has a tendency to shy away from contact and occasionally settle for poor jump shots. As previously mentioned, he has the ability to simply blow by defenders and dunk on everyone – it’s just that sometimes he doesn’t do that.

Conclusion

Wiggins is still the top overall prospect in this draft. He already possesses the tools of a lockdown defender, and his physical abilities make his upside extremely tantalizing for NBA clubs. His ceiling is so high because he is physically capable of making literally any play. NBADraft.net compares him to Vince Carter/Rudy Gay. I’ve also seen more than one scout compare him to Kobe Bryant.

According to most sources, Cleveland still hasn’t decided how they’d like to spend the #1 overall pick. If Cleveland doesn’t take Wiggins at #1 (opting instead for Duke’s Jabari Parker), he will for sure go to Milwaukee at #2. However, it is my expectation that he will go #1 overall.