Will Andrew wiggins be a great player in the NBA?

[Prokorov]

Kansas doesn't use Wiggins right. They should be working to get him the ball more early in the offense or having more movement in their offense but instead they just let him float on the three point line. Even keeping him in the post would've been good against the zone today. College basketball is a bit different with a smaller court, the style of play is meant for jump shooters. Kansas has no real good play makers to help Wiggins out either.

He was supposed to BE the playmaker to help the others out.

he has never been a playmaker, but what he could've done was be good enough offensively to draw extra attention from the defense. he wasn't and isn't.

the "he wasn't used right" excuse is tired and lame though. given his skill set, he is an in the flow, transition scorer and put back guy who can straight slash off of passes. nothing more. when his jump shot is not on, it significantly decreases what he can do offensively in the halfcourt. you can say that they can post him up, but andrew is not strong. he has a weak base and he struggles playing through contact.

seriously. the "he wasnt used right" thing needs to stop. he plays for kansas under an elite coach. i doubt he is being horribly misused

[Marvin Martian]

Stunning how underwhelming this putative GOAT draft has been. It's comical watching these guys and comparing them to Davis in '12.

I think Embiid versus Davis is a legitimate discussion.

[Doctor MJ]

Stunning how underwhelming this putative GOAT draft has been. It's comical watching these guys and comparing them to Davis in '12.

I think Embiid versus Davis is a legitimate discussion.

I know there are people who prefer Embiid as a prospect to what Davis was. If we're simply talking about who was more impressive in college between Embiid and Davis though, there is no debate.

Additionally, I think anyone saying they think they'd draft Embiid over Davis knowing what we know now about Davis needs to get perspective. It was understandable to have doubts about Davis at the time, but those doubts have been proven to be ill-founded.

[Shaud]

For all the bashing he receives he still had a good freshman year despite the disappointing game today. Most seniors don't average 17 a game and he's a very good defender.

It's not his fault people said he was the best high school prospect since LeBron. Which is what people said they were not calling him the Next Lebron.

what seniors? most good player never make it to their senior year. they guys that do are usually second round fodder.

16/6 on 45% shooting is a good season for a freshman. but its not super impressive ZOMG he is the next lebron type stuff

Well expecting any freshman to be on Lebron level is setting yourself up for failure.

And there are plenty of talented of seniors at the College level for the college game. Too bad the NBA drafts on potential.

[The Infamous1]

His handles are like really bad though. That's why I disagree when people say he's passive, he's not he just realizes he doesn't have ball handling, shooting, or shot creating abilities to be that type of offensive player to take over games. He's not holding anything back

[Warriors Analyst]

His handles are like really bad though. That's why I disagree when people say he's passive, he's not he just realizes he doesn't have ball handling, shooting, or shot creating abilities to be that type of offensive player to take over games. He's not holding anything back

I don't know why this isn't a bigger red flag. Athleticism and superior strength and leaping ability only means so much on the wing in the NBA where skill level is more important. If Wiggins can't reliably get to the spots on the floor he needs to or break down NBA defenses, the incredible physical gifts he has are going to be significantly diminished. Wing players in todays NBA need to be able to either hit 3's/finish well at the rim off of cuts or they need to show some ability to create shots for themselves or other teammates off the dribble/pick and roll situations effectively to fit well into an NBA offense.

Today was my first time watching a Wiggins game and I was underwhelmed by how passive he looked and just how poor he looked at putting the ball on the floor. As a Warriors fan, maybe I'm suffering from PTSD from Harrison Barnes, the legend of the Black Pigeon, but right now, I'd be terrified of any big name wing prospect that doesn't show a good feel for the game in regards to dribbling and creating good looks.

[bullsnewdynasty]

He'll definitely be an all-star player. Jury is out on whether he'll be a true franchise guy though.

[TheSuzerain]

Ended on a sour note, but on the whole he had a very good freshman year.

17 and 6 on 56.7% TS% with elite defense against the hardest schedule in the nation (and in recent memory according to KenPom).

He probably should have been Big XII player of the year too.

[JulesWinnfield]

Paul George isn't a top 5 player?

I guess he is. Point taken.

That just goes to show how weak the talent level is in the NBA right now.

Paul George certainly isn't a top 5 player right now. The fact that some observers wish to label him as such isn't an indictment on the talent level in the NBA, its an indictment on those peoples talent evaluation skills

[TheSuzerain]

And I think Paul George is a pretty good comparison.

[Doctor MJ]

Ended on a sour note, but on the whole he had a very good freshman year.

17 and 6 on 56.7% TS% with elite defense against the hardest schedule in the nation (and in recent memory according to KenPom).

He probably should have been Big XII player of the year too.

Beasley went for 26 & 12 on 61% TS in the same conference. That's the problem. If we're talking about him being good enough in college to "map" anywhere in particular in the NBA, there's just the issue that we've seen drastically superior college freshman amount to nothing.

But on the other hand, the worst case scenario here would clearly be if the expected physical talent advantage for Wiggins in college just wasn't there, a la Shabazz last year. The raw talent is there in Wiggins, it's just a question of what kind of project it is to try to mine it.

[Expeditious]

Stunning how underwhelming this putative GOAT draft has been. It's comical watching these guys and comparing them to Davis in '12.

I think Embiid versus Davis is a legitimate discussion.

I don't. Anthony Davis had the most decorated freshman season ever. National Championship, NPOY, DPOY, 1st Team AA, FF MOP, national record for blocked shots in a season by a freshman, #1 pick in the NBA draft. Heck, he even won a gold medal that summer. And for all the hype he had coming into the NBA, he's exceeding it right now and looking like a perennial 1st team All-NBAer.

Embiid's great. Worlds of potential. But he's still really raw, and he's only a year and five days younger than Davis. With Embiid's back issues, there's still no doubt you'd take Davis first if they were in the same draft.

[DByrne86]

His handles are like really bad though. That's why I disagree when people say he's passive, he's not he just realizes he doesn't have ball handling, shooting, or shot creating abilities to be that type of offensive player to take over games. He's not holding anything back

I don't know why this isn't a bigger red flag. Athleticism and superior strength and leaping ability only means so much on the wing in the NBA where skill level is more important. If Wiggins can't reliably get to the spots on the floor he needs to or break down NBA defenses, the incredible physical gifts he has are going to be significantly diminished. Wing players in todays NBA need to be able to either hit 3's/finish well at the rim off of cuts or they need to show some ability to create shots for themselves or other teammates off the dribble/pick and roll situations effectively to fit well into an NBA offense.

Today was my first time watching a Wiggins game and I was underwhelmed by how passive he looked and just how poor he looked at putting the ball on the floor. As a Warriors fan, maybe I'm suffering from PTSD from Harrison Barnes, the legend of the Black Pigeon, but right now, I'd be terrified of any big name wing prospect that doesn't show a good feel for the game in regards to dribbling and creating good looks.

Did you see his 41 point game the other week? I didn't see either one tbh, but a sample size of 1 is a terrible way to evaluate someone.

[Shaud]

His handles are like really bad though. That's why I disagree when people say he's passive, he's not he just realizes he doesn't have ball handling, shooting, or shot creating abilities to be that type of offensive player to take over games. He's not holding anything back

I don't know why this isn't a bigger red flag. Athleticism and superior strength and leaping ability only means so much on the wing in the NBA where skill level is more important. If Wiggins can't reliably get to the spots on the floor he needs to or break down NBA defenses, the incredible physical gifts he has are going to be significantly diminished. Wing players in todays NBA need to be able to either hit 3's/finish well at the rim off of cuts or they need to show some ability to create shots for themselves or other teammates off the dribble/pick and roll situations effectively to fit well into an NBA offense.

Today was my first time watching a Wiggins game and I was underwhelmed by how passive he looked and just how poor he looked at putting the ball on the floor. As a Warriors fan, maybe I'm suffering from PTSD from Harrison Barnes, the legend of the Black Pigeon, but right now, I'd be terrified of any big name wing prospect that doesn't show a good feel for the game in regards to dribbling and creating good looks.

Did you see his 41 point game the other week? I didn't see either one tbh, but a sample size of 1 is a terrible way to evaluate someone.

This is not just one game again Wiggins has had a few duds in the regular season also. He's a good freshman but there are red flags with him being taken number 1. He has potential but he is also way too passive and limited offensively.

[mathgeek]

He doesn't have handles but he does break down defenders just by going North South East West with his speed alone and with his quick leaping ability combined with his length it is quite clear to see that the kid is going to be special. I mean all he needs is 2 steps and he is in for the dunk. Mind you he did miss a lot of layups, finger rolls, easy shots this year mainly due to rushing shots and taking off too far from the basket. But all of this is something that he will improve on as he gets more experienced and better coached. He was a streaky shooter this year but I have no doubt his jumpshot will improve, his form is awkward but there is no hitch in his shot so he will be able to become a decent jump shooter.

I probably watched about 9 Kansas games this year, the system and team definitely held him back. Kansas is centered around moving the ball around finding open shooters, or playing off their bigs. This year their shooters were horrible, combined with the injury to Embiid they were toast from the start of the tournament. Teams would play them zone which basically turned Wiggins into a jump shooter. If his shot was falling, the game would open up for him, if not he would become passive and drift away from the game. He did play great defense on most occasions that is why he still remained in games. I don't think coach self would have changed his whole system just to fit in a freshman who will not even be there next year.

[BaunceyChillups]

Wiggins's halfcourt offense is him basically running into people and praying to get a foul.

[Warriors Analyst]

His handles are like really bad though. That's why I disagree when people say he's passive, he's not he just realizes he doesn't have ball handling, shooting, or shot creating abilities to be that type of offensive player to take over games. He's not holding anything back

I don't know why this isn't a bigger red flag. Athleticism and superior strength and leaping ability only means so much on the wing in the NBA where skill level is more important. If Wiggins can't reliably get to the spots on the floor he needs to or break down NBA defenses, the incredible physical gifts he has are going to be significantly diminished. Wing players in todays NBA need to be able to either hit 3's/finish well at the rim off of cuts or they need to show some ability to create shots for themselves or other teammates off the dribble/pick and roll situations effectively to fit well into an NBA offense.

Today was my first time watching a Wiggins game and I was underwhelmed by how passive he looked and just how poor he looked at putting the ball on the floor. As a Warriors fan, maybe I'm suffering from PTSD from Harrison Barnes, the legend of the Black Pigeon, but right now, I'd be terrified of any big name wing prospect that doesn't show a good feel for the game in regards to dribbling and creating good looks.

Did you see his 41 point game the other week? I didn't see either one tbh, but a sample size of 1 is a terrible way to evaluate someone.

Eh, I wouldn't put a whole lot of weight on a one game evaluation either, but I feel that those types of flaws are the ones that are most terrifying, rather than a bad shooting night or something of the sort. I didn't watch the 41 point game although I did see highlights. I actually wasn't terribly impressed with that game either, I found myself thinking it reminded me a lot of Barnes 40+ game in college. My memory of Barnes' game was that he was hitting a lot of open shots and contested pull-up J's, something that isn't necessarily sustainable in the NBA. I'd have to watch the game film again for Wiggins' 41 point game, but my memory was that many of his shots were contested J's where he managed to simply beat the defense which defended him pretty well. I'd rather see a player getting better clean looks at the college level, that feels more sustainable than pull-up J's and contested shots in traffic

[Brauer]

The problem with Wiggins that he struggles against the zone defense. He is much better suited against the man to man defense