The Minnesota Timberwolves are still sorting things out. Julius Randle is searching for his ideal fit, and the team’s spending makes a blockbuster trade unlikely. Their offense is clunky, and they are hovering around .500 as 2025 approaches. This group must find a way to blossom into a serious contender in the loaded Western Conference.
Minnesota is far from the only struggling franchise. The Kings are outside the Play-In Tournament, which has started the De’Aaron Fox trade rumors. The Warriors and Suns are both in the Play-In Tournament mix, despite having superstars at the top of their rosters. Nikola Jokic has been the MVP so far, but his Nuggets have issues to sort out. The West is loaded with talent, which will create plenty of disappointment.
Golden State got off to a fast start before a 3-11 stretch has sunk them to tenth. Andrew Wiggins is having a bounce-back season, but Timberwolves fans know there is no telling what is next.
Andrew Wiggins continues to be maddeningly inconsistent
Wiggins allowed the Austin Reaves game-winner on Christmas day, which ignited the Warriors’ fan base. It was not his first mistake in Golden State, but it is easy to forget that he was one of the worst players in the NBA last season. The Warriors could not give him away and now Wiggins is back.
The 6’7 wing averages 17.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 29.0 minutes per game this season. Head coach Steve Kerr is running deep rotations and limiting everyone’s minutes. Wiggins is shooting 42.6 percent from 3-point range and producing nearly identical numbers to his All-Star campaign in 2022.
Timberwolves fans are not surprised. Minnesota drafted him number one overall in 2014, and he spent his first five and a half NBA seasons with the franchise. He became a 20-point per game scorer, but the Wolves made the playoffs just once. Wiggins's production was all over the board, including three times having a negative value over replacement player (VORP). He would get his numbers but did not always impact winning.
The trend has continued in the Bay Area after the Timberwolves gave up a first-round draft pick and Wiggins to acquire D’Angelo Russell. The 6’7 forward became an All-Star and a key part of the Dubs’ championship in 2022 before producing a negative VORP again last season. There were off-the-court issues (subscription required) behind his struggles, but it continued a trend Minnesota fans saw to begin his career.
The Minnesota Timberwolves chose Andrew Wiggins over Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Julius Randle, and every other prospect in the talented 2014 draft class. They believed he could blossom into the face of their franchise, but his inconsistency prevented it from happening. Now, the Warriors feel that pain as they struggle to get back to the playoffs in the loaded West. Wolves fans are rooting for Wiggins, but nobody knows where his production will go from here.