The most heralded talent since Lebron is only months away from national collegiate spotlight.
One of the most talked about storylines headed into the 2013-2014 college basketball season is Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins. He’s enters collegiate basketball with ridiculous expectations; seen as a player who could completely dominate a game, even being proclaimed by some as the best prospect since LeBron. Critics have also come forth asking whether or not Wiggins is the real deal? Is the NBA just so desperate for new stars and they’re willing to massively overrate unproven talent? I say no. Wiggins is an elite talent.
He’s every bit of 6’8”; the ideal size for a true SF; a gifted athlete with explosiveness off the charts. Wiggins possesses a quick first step with a long stride which allows him to effortlessly get to the hoop and put up high percentage shots. Wiggins has a frame that is capable to add on some more weight which should occur as his body matures. One of the few weaknesses found in Wiggins is that he doesn’t have ideal strength and he needs to become more physical.
Not only can Wiggins just about drive past any defender with ease, he is also effective at creating separation off the dribble for pull-up jumpers. When Wiggins doesn’t have the ball in his hands he likes to spot-up in the corner. Here he can take a spot-up jump-shot or slash to the hoop, show beautiful mechanics on his jumper with a quick release, making him very difficult to block. He has already has shown signs of NBA Range which is just another asset he has in his incredibly gifted arsenal.
Wiggins has all the tools to become a complete menace on the defensive end. He hasn’t quite put it all together yet but with proper coaching he’ll get there sooner rather than later. His wingspan of 7’0” allows him to deflect a lot of balls. Some scouts say they still want to see more on the defensive end, saying he’s never seemed to take it too seriously but in my opinion that’s just because of the talent he’s been asked to defend. He’s been completely superior to every player he’s ever played against, so it’s not like he’s ever had to put in a lot of effort on defense in order to shut down his opponent.
Back to the offensive end, Wiggins has shown he’s unselfish and always appears more than happy to help create for others and share some of the spotlight. He has good court vision and is dynamic in transition. His handle could use some improvement, but it won’t be an Achilles Heel. His tremendous body control will make up for it.
One of the biggest questions surrounding Wiggins right now is if he can handle all the hype. Some question if he has that true “killer-instinct” all NBA Starts have nowadays. This is an unanswered question at the moment, and we’ll learn more about that aspect of his game this year at Kansas. It’s important to remember that Wiggins is only 18, his game isn’t even close to being fully developed.
With all that being said, I believe Wiggins will live up to the massive hype. His potential has no bounds right now and I can’t wait to watch this guy get on the hardwood this season. We’ll learn a lot more about his game, but right now he has no gaping weakness. Sure, there are aspects of his game that haven’t quite caught up yet but they’ll come with time. Wiggins certainly has the potential to dominate the game of basketball at both the collegiate and professional level.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
