Andrew Wiggins, 41 Point Breakdown
By Mike Garcia
Feb 22, 2014; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Andrew Wiggins (22) shoots a free throw in the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won 85-54. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
What To Build Upon
There are opportunities for all NCAA, International, and NBA players to work on. In Andrew’s case, they’re easily fixable.
Additional strength would go a long way for him on both ends of the floor. Perimeter players with an attacking style, can bump defenders with their shoulders on the drive. Wiggins doesn’t have this strength just yet, and has to compensate with his speed to get to the basket. Combining speed with strength and his jumping ability would make him an unstoppable finisher. He should be able to get high percentage shots off in the paint against bigger defenders on his athleticism alone. Defensively, it would add another dimension to his game. It’s scary how great a defender he can be with added strength. He already shows the defensive footwork, the IQ, the hands, the wingspan, and the activity level to be a solid NBA defender from the get-go. That’s a rare quality for rookie year NBA players.
Isolation play could be worked on. There are basketball drills used at the high school and NCAA level, where essentially, the offensive player only has 1, 2, or 3 dribbles to get a shot off. Wiggins showed some of this ability going laterally and using a screen to get a jumpshot, or using a step back to get a shot off. Using triple threat positioning in combination with jab-steps and a more deliberate crossover should make him a better isolation scorer.