LloydFree wrote:Not really. Because Wiggins is a better jump shooter than Jabari Parker is a defender.
Seriously though, It's not Bill Self's job to showcase Andrew Wiggins. It's college basketball. Wings that are slashers never look great in their Freshman years. Dean Smith didn't showcase Jordan or Vince Carter. Coach K didn't showcase Grant Hill. Roy Williams didn't showcase Paul Pierce. All of those players looked like their teams' 2nd or 3rd best player their Freshmen years.
It was inevitable that Wiggins would not live up to ridiculous expectations, because he isn't an advanced 3 point shooter.
College basketball is a glorified 3 point shooting contest. It's up to GMs to recognize NBA tools that will translate to next level. The amateur talent evaluators don't understand the differences of the pro and college games, so every few years we get a big time wing prospect, that get's downgraded in the fans eyes, because they aren't an advanced shooter yet.
It's not because he isn't an advanced 3 point shooter, it's because he can't dribble in the half court, he can't pass, he can't shoot the midrange J...
He has 0 and absolutely 0 perimeter skills that in the Half Court.
He just stands there.
He doesn't do anything with the ball.
And the best perimeter players in college basketball...were not advanced shooters...they were able to iso and break down a defense and get to the line.
Michael Jordan, Grant Hill, Vince Carter, all stayed 3 years, better their games and went top 3. Michael Jordan also had ball skills in the half court, like passing and ball handling. Grant Hill had ball skills in the half court, Vince Carter had ball skills.
And lets not forget about their teams, their teams were stacked and Michael averaged 19 and 20 points after his freshmen year and Grant Hill was putting up all around numbers after his freshmen year.
Everytime we get of these overhyped high school perimeter player prospects...we see how unadvanced they are, like Shabazz Muhammad who was supposed to be the next Kobe Bryant...but he can't dribble nor shoot off the dribble...how is that supposed to be a star wing player?
Andrew Wiggins just doesn't have a star wing skillset point blank.
Look at these recent high school and college phenoms that were star wing players in their freshmen year then went to the pros.
Carmelo Anthony
Kevin Durant
Donte Greene
Demar Derozan
Bradley Beal
Austin Rivers
Michael Kidd Gilchrist
Shabazz Muhammad
Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony had complete offensive games and could do everything on the court.
Donte Green was average driver and mid range shooter and a three point bomber
Demar Derozan only had the midrange shot and athleticism, couldn't do anything else on the court.
Bradley Beal was shooter and finisher
Austin Rivers was a one dimensional driver and a shooter and made his own shot
Michael Kidd Gilchrist was an athletic finsher and defender
Shabazz Muhammad was a finisher and shooter
Demar Derozan had the most expansion of his skillset and it took years to get to where he is now and he still a second rate player. KD and Melo were stars out of the gate. Donte Greene dropped out the league after becoming a bench player that just played defense and ineffectively shoot 3s. Bradly Beal is a complimentary player, mostly a 3 point shooter. Austin Rivers is about to be out of the league. MKG is just a complementary defensive all around player. Shabazz Muhammad is on the bench.
So if people really wanna believe that Andrew Wiggins is gonna become a star franchise changing offensive player...they can keep dreaming with the skills he is demonstrating his freshmen year.
Only thing he has going for him is being a number top 3 pick and whoever gets him probably gonna pull a Toronto Raptors and be extremely patient and extremely hopeful he can pull a Westbrook and at least be a serviceable offensive player and an athletic force of nature that impacts the game...which is unlikely but possible.
I'll take the one and done player that has a close to possible complete game top 3 over the "most ceiling pick".
Those that can do it in college, tend to do it all in the NBA.
