Dunking With Wolves
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Minnesota Timberwolves Power Rankings: Bench hierarchy is solidifying

By Jake Paynting

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 19: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 19: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 19: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts during the game against the Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 19: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts during the game against the Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3. Andrew Wiggins (2)

Season stats: 36.2 MPG – 18.8 PPG – 3.9 RPG – 1.6 APG – 46% FG – 30.4% 3PT – 61.5% 3PT

Weekly stats: 37.4 MPG – 16.3 PPG – 2.5 RPG – 1.8 APG – 46.6% FG – 21.4% 3PT – 57.1% FT

With an increase in minutes for the bulk of the starters this week, Andrew Wiggins failed to capitalise on his increased workload, on the offensive end that is.

Wiggins has regressed back to his worst when it comes to rebounding and assists numbers, with his assist statistics in particular strikingly low, even for Andrew Wiggins, registering just seven assists for the entire week.

With his low points totals this week, Wiggins would have been hoping to make more of an impact in other ways on the box scores, as his statlines do not look very impressive when he cannot find the hoop as well as he would like.

A lot of these struggles stem from his long-range jumper.

And despite a respectable 46.6 percent mark from the field, his 21.4 percent 3-point percentage was far from ideal, and his 30 percent mark for the year is well below what Timberwolves fans envisioned before the start of the 2017-18 campaign.

Fans expected Wiggins to improve on his 35.6 percent mark from downtown last season, envisioning a 37+ percent mark this year, which would greatly help the Wolves shooting woes from outside.

There hasn’t been enough of that kind of splash from Maple Jordan.

It certainly wasn’t a completely lost week for Andrew Wiggins though, he looked to be much improved on defense for majority  of the week, which is becoming a theme of Andrew Wiggins fourth NBA campaign.

Wiggins’ Defensive Rating this week sat at an elite 98.3, which would put him in the leagues top defenders if he was able to make it a consistent trend. Along with his ear-perking defensive statistics of 0.8 blocks and 1.5 steals per game over the four games played this week.

We know Andrew Wiggins can score, so we aren’t too worried about his low points per game averages this week, but we are concerned about his shooting.

If Wiggins can correct the long ball, and bottle his elite defensive week and use it every game, Andrew Wiggins will be just fine in the power rankings, and in the NBA in general.

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