When Oklahoma City drafted former Maryland wing Aaron Wiggins with the 55th overall selection, many thought that the North Carolina native would an afterthought as the fourth player selected by the Thunder in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Fortunately for Wiggins, OKC was still at a point in its team-building phase to utilize what some have called "roster exploration". This means that the team puts as many different players as it can on the floor over the course of an entire season as an effort to both tank for a top pick and discover who on the team is worth keeping around for the future.
After showing impressive flashes in his rookie season, Wiggins was given another chance on the floor for Oklahoma City in 2022-23. Despite the goals of this season's team being much higher than that of the previous season, the 6-foot-6 Maryland product contributed nicely to a solid season for the Thunder.
Overall Grade: B+
Wiggins was able to transform his game from his rookie year to this season, adjusting his play style to fit with that of a winning team rather than a squad in the middle of a rebuild. During the 2022-23 season, OKC went 11-3 in games that Wiggins appeared in the starting lineup.
Additionally, the second-year wing was the most impactful Thunder player from his draft class behind Josh Giddey, outperforming both Tre Mann and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl in the group's sophomore season.
Offensively
After putting up solid stats as a rookie, Wiggins counting numbers fell slightly in 2022-23, but his shooting percentages rose drastically. This year, Wiggins averaged 6.8 points, three rebounds and just over one assist in 18.5 minutes per game.
The Greensboro native improved his field goal percentage from 46.3% to 51.2% and raised his 3-point percentage from 30.4% to 39.3%. Wiggins scored a season-high 27 points to help lead OKC to victory against the Utah Jazz in early March.
Defensively
On defense, Wiggins provided a great spark as a high energy player off the bench. The second-year guard does a good job of jumping passing lanes and stealing the ball in transition.
At times, however, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has critiqued Wiggins defense. After a home win over the Detroit Pistons in late March, Daigneault said that Wiggins bounced back that night after not playing up to the best of his abilities in Oklahoma City's previous contest.
Wiggins responded by pitching in 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in the win over Detroit.
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