By Koffi Kenneth Kouadio, Contributing Writer
With great power comes great responsibilities and big expectations. Thus the 19-year-old rookie from Kansas found that out the hard way.
With the first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Andrew Wiggins. After a very convincing off-season playing for the Cavaliers, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a deal including Kevin Love.
Changing franchises does not make him any less the first pick of the draft. As a first pick, everybody expects you to live up to the hype. First picks are generally sent to struggling NBA franchises, expecting them to pull the franchise up from the shackles. That was the case for Wiggins.
In his first in Minnesota as a rookie, the Canadian averaged 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Those stats are tremendous for a rookie according to ESPN.
In his time in Minnesota, he teamed up with different NBA superstars such as Karl-Anthony Towns, and eventually Jimmy Butler.
In 2018, after 14 years of drought, the Minnesota Timberwolves led by the pair Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, made the playoffs. This dream of the championship was cut short in the first round by a very strong Houston led by Chris Paul and James Harden.
However, during his first playoffs, after appearing in all eighty-two of the regular seasons, the 6’7 small forward from Canada averaged 17.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 36.3 minutes per game. His playoff debut was promising according to Sporting News.
Fast forward two years, in a deal including D’Angelo Russel, Omari Spellman, and Jacob Evans, Andrew Wiggins is traded to the Golden State Warriors.
This trade shocked the NBA world who thought that D’Angelo was a better fit for the Warriors than Wiggins would be. In a TV sports show, host Nick Wright called Andrew Wiggins a “bad basketball player”. He was described as a mistake by Bob Myers, general manager of the Golden State Warriors.
Along with two-time MVP, and the three-time NBA champion, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins saw a weight lifted off of his shoulder. In Minnesota, he was expected to deliver the franchise of its demise. This is a totally different situation for him now.
In his first year with the Warriors, Andrew was averaging 22.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, shooting an astonishing 56.8 true shooting percentage. This is already the best he has shot the ball in his career. In that year, he still did not make the cut for All-Star.
In his second year, shooting an even better true shooting percentage than the previous year at 58.5, to the surprise of some fans in the NBA world, he did make the cut as an All-Star.
The small forward from Canada is not only an All-Star, but he is an All-Star starter. The player that many called a bust at the time of the trade was proving lots of doubters that he still belongs.
Alongside with players such as Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins can now fully express his talent without having the stress of being the franchise player. This liberty allowed him to expand his game.
Andrew Wiggins really seemed to have found a home in the Warriors organization. This first All-star is proof of that statement. The future is bright for him and the organization.
