Andrew Wiggins explodes for 40 in Jimmy Butler’s absence
When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Kevin Love for Andrew Wiggins after draft night in 2014, they envisioned a player who would help lead their franchise out of the slums of the NBA and into brighter days. Four seasons later and a Rookie of the Year Award later, Wiggins is virtually the same inefficient volume scorer he was when he came into the league.
Watching the former Jayhawk underperform can be a frustrating proposition, but it’s easy to forget that he’s still just 22 years old. While his career trajectory has been a bit of a letdown for T-Wolves fans, Wiggins still has the skill to remind Minnesota of his promising potential and innate ability to put the ball in the hoop.
Monday night as the Timberwolves played short-handed without Jimmy Butler and Jamal Crawford against the Los Angeles Clippers, Wiggins displayed his maturity and poise. Led by his season-high 40 points, Minnesota dispatched the Clippers 126-118.
The Canadian sensation dropped 40 points, but the win wouldn’t have been possible without the help of point guard Jeff Teague’s 30 points and six assists. The victory snapped a four game losing streak away from home and proved the Wolves can survive without the services of their All-Star Jimmy Butler.
Winning wasn’t easy, but behind the efforts of Teague and Wiggins, the Timberwolves found it in them to overcome a 56 percent shooting night by the Clippers. Although Minnesota led for most of the contest, it was a back and forth affair. It wasn’t until the final three minutes of the game that Timberwolves were able to pull out in front and secure the victory.
The Clippers took home the L, but thanks to Blake Griffin Los Angeles stayed right in the thick of things until the very end. Griffin poured in 32 points, secured 12 rebounds and notched a career-high 12 assists for his second triple-double of the season.
Despite putting together one of his best seasons statistically, it appears as though the highflying power forward will be missing from this year’s All-Star roster for a third straight season. While it’s debatable whether Griffin deserves a spot at the midseason classic, it’s incontrovertible that teammate Lou Williams’ inevitable exclusion from the star studded game will be one of this year’s biggest All-Star snubs.
Williams’ 23.2 points per game off of the bench is by far the best mark of any player in the NBA. His shooting splits of 45/40/90 are impossibly efficient on his sheer volume, yet somehow he’s managed to maintain his great shooting despite the inconsistency that has surrounded the Clippers this season. He may not make the All-Star team, but barring any serious injuries to the blistering combo guard, he’s a lock to win Sixth Man of the Year for the second time in his underrated career.
