Entering this season, it wasn't exactly crystal clear as to how Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins would find himself in the rotation on a nightly basis.
Of course, we knew he brought value on each end of the court and could provide a significant cushion of depth as he did a year ago, receiving 18.5 minutes and even 14 starts in 70 games.
But heading into this season – Oklahoma City held a newfound slew of depth to back up its flashy young core, pushing Wiggins further down the line and limiting his playtime to an extent.
Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe are the primary culprits as to why Wiggins may not be securing a similar amount of minutes as last season – averaging just over half of the minutes he saw in his freshman season (24.2) with a mere 12.7 per game halfway into the season.
Wallace and Joe are producing at a very high rate in their respective 21.1 and 19.3 minutes per game – but Wiggins is rivaling their production in much less time on the court.
Per 36 minutes, Wiggins averages 14.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals on 58.8% from the field and 51.3% from three. These numbers all clear those of his previous two seasons – something that is not reflected in his overall stats on the season, as we mention his playtime has been a limiter for his production.
Though, as of late, head coach Mark Daigneault has begun to solidify some sense of consistent rotations each night, but still throws some unexpected lineups onto the court at times to continue his philosophy of progressional development.
Believing a 13-deep rotation can possess solid contribution from each player in it is certainly attainable for this young team chock full of depth, and the developmental aspect is necessary in the front half of the season.
But now, 43 games in, the rotations should be seeing more of a stricter structure, and Wiggins should be right in the midst of the Thunder's strategy.
When Wiggins is given more minutes, he produces that much more.
In each of his six 20-plus minute outings this season, the 6-foot-5, 25-year-old averages nine points – nearly double his 5.1 average on the season – and consistently provides a spark in transition, as well as vital perimeter pressure defensively.
It's clear both to the eye and the numbers that he is a key contributor to Oklahoma City's bench unit – and as the Thunder come down the stretch into playoff preparation, it'd be surprising to not see Wiggins' role bloom into something larger.
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