OKC Thunder Wing With Opportunity to Get Back on Track in Final Weekend

Oklahoma City’s dominance has allowed it to take the final two games off, but one player will still see valuable reps.

Sitting at 66-14 with the league’s best record already clinched, the Thunder don’t have much to play for in the final two games. The Thunder’s injury report for Friday’s game against the Utah Jazz features what could be the team’s top seven rotation players for the postseason.

That leaves the load against the Jazz to some of the Thunder’s role players, including Aaron Wiggins. After breaking out in February and carrying that play into March, Wiggins’ Achilles injury kept him sidelined for five games toward the end of the month and into April.

Since returning, Wiggins has struggled to find his groove, albeit in only four games. After combining to score only 15 points across his first three games back, Wiggins began to find his groove in the Thunder’s win in Phoenix, where he dropped 17 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Although his efficiency could have been better, seeing Wiggins succeed with a higher-volume role was encouraging. Still, the Thunder would like to see Wiggins return to form ahead of the playoffs, where he could easily swing a game or a series if he plays at his best.

This season, Wiggins is averaging 11.5 points, which puts him fourth on the team in that category behind only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. With the potential to be the Thunder’s No. 1 option offensively in the final two games, Wiggins should be able to find his rhythm again before the playoffs, especially against a couple of bad teams.

While Wiggins will still be playing alongside other potential playoff contributors such as Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams, Wiggins typically doesn’t need the ball in his hands to succeed. That makes him a dangerous player regardless of who he’s playing with, but his ability to still create for himself has been an added layer this season.

This season, Wiggins has 21 games with at least 15 points, which even includes a 41-point performance. While he likely won’t hit that mark against the Jazz or Pelicans, his ability to score in bunches and change a game is something the Thunder will need come playoff time. Seeing how important it is that he enters the postseason with confidence, a couple of big nights could be in store.