Minnesota Sports Forum

Interesting numbers over the years for Wiggins pre-February and post-February:

2014-15 (PPG, TS%, Net Rating):
Pre-February: 15.5, 50.7%, -10.2
Post-February: 18.8, 52.8%, -10.0

2015-16:
Pre: 20.4, 51.9%, -3.3
Post: 21.2, 58%, +2.5

2016-17:
Pre: 22.1, 53.1%, -.5
Post*: 28.8, 59.4%, +2.4

*12 games so far this season

The bad news is that it takes him so damn long to really start hitting his stride. The good news is that his lackluster start is getting less and less lackluster and his endings are getting better and better.

It is curious though because it's not like he just picks up where he left off the season prior. He takes a good step back, then eventually moves forward two more steps.

pretty sure he started off the first 15 games on fire

BloopOracle wrote:pretty sure he started off the first 15 games on fire

Yeah he came out blazing, then went into a funk before finding himself again. Maybe hypnosis would be worth a try.

You see, this is a case of not seeing the forest through the analytic trees!

Rookie season, understandable.

Second second, new coach, offense changed post all-star break.

Third season, new coach again. But if feels different this time around. It feels sustainable. And it is different. Wiggins never displayed a consistent jump shot in his first two seasons. He's got it now.

Next season he will come in wiser and stronger, with no change in the coaching ranks. It will not be 45 games to get going next year, no matter what the analytics tell you.

BTW, we dodged a bullet tonight with the Blazers losing to Detroit in OT (Lillard missed a technical FT near the end of regulation that would have likely won them the game.

Portland is atop the KOM standings. They already have one anti-klunker post all-star break. We didn't need them getting another...

Having 3 different coaches and 3 different roles/usage has to be taken into account here.

Having said that. I feel this is going to be the wiggins going forward. He looks to got it together and like the great scorers in the league. He has found the spots and areas where he can consistently get to and score at a high rate. Watch him the last 15-20 games and he scores on the same spots time and again. You know he is going to there but you can't stop him. He has been making it look easy and effortless out there on offense. Its almost an automatic score when he is on the fast break. The playmaking can still get better and shooting more refined which could make him even more deadly.

The defense has improved. His activity level have generated more steals for him and he has been making smart gambles with that. He isn't going corey brewer/thad young steal hunting. He has been making great reads/anticipation and learning to use his length/speed/athletic ability to be disruptive.

Im sure wig will have a bad game here and there but I can see his recent strong play as sustainable for a whole season.

worldK wrote:Having 3 different coaches and 3 different roles/usage has to be taken into account here.

Having said that. I feel this is going to be the wiggins going forward. He looks to got it together and like the great scorers in the league. He has found the spots and areas where he can consistently get to and score at a high rate. Watch him the last 15-20 games and he scores on the same spots time and again. You know he is going to there but you can't stop him. He has been making it look easy and effortless out there on offense. Its almost an automatic score when he is on the fast break. The playmaking can still get better and shooting more refined which could make him even more deadly.

The defense has improved. His activity level have generated more steals for him and he has been making smart gambles with that. He isn't going corey brewer/thad young steal hunting. He has been making great reads/anticipation and learning to use his length/speed/athletic ability to be disruptive.

Im sure wig will have a bad game here and there but I can see his recent strong play as sustainable for a whole season.

I think you are spot on here World

Part of the inconsistency of Wiggins is he focuses on different aspects of his game and sometimes it works great and sometimes it takes a while for him to lock in. Obviously at times other teams and players catch up to what he is doing and so he has to adjust as well. Wiggins is such a calculating player it's kinda weird especially for a guy so young and he has been that way from his rookie year. I think he and Thibs are gonna get along really well for a long time.

BloopOracle wrote:pretty sure he started off the first 15 games on fire

That is indeed true. He was on fire early, but then fell off for quite a long time.

I have no idea why there is a tale of two seasons within a season for Wiggins, but I just found the pattern interesting. I also have no clue if the pattern will repeat itself moving forward. The good news from my perspective is that he's improving. Period.