The 2022 Western Conference #NBAAllStar Starters:

???? LeBron James
???? Nikola Jokic
Andrew Wiggins
???? Steph Curry
???? Ja Morant

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 28, 2022

Wiggins is averaging, make sure you’re sitting down for this, 18.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2 assists per game. His career averages are 19.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 2.3 APG. Sure, most of his efficiency metrics are up, but an increase in efficiency doesn’t constitute a starter role when, in past years, he couldn’t even find his way onto the roster.

Towns >>> Wiggins

Who should’ve been selected ahead of him? Well, since we’re talking FRONT court players, why look any further than his former teammate, Karl-Anthony Towns. Back in Minnesota, KAT is posting numbers that dwarf Wiggins’ while leading a Minnesota Timberwolves team that’s a strong candidate for a top-6 playoff seed come April.

Let’s compare the numbers, shall we?

There’s simply ZERO logical explanation to explain why Andrew Wiggins would be named as a front court starter in this year’s All-Star game and KAT wasn’t. The only non-logical explanation is based on geography. Wiggins moved on from fly-over country Minnesota and now plays on the West Coast with Steph Curry for the Golden State Warriors.

Because of that, Wiggins has been able to change who the outside world thinks he is as a basketball player. He plays for the Warriors now and that has allowed him to get on national TV more often and has allowed him plenty of puff pieces about how he has turned his career around, thanks to the help of big market loving NBA media.

Big Market Bias

Meanwhile, KAT has reiterated his love for Minnesota and continues to revel in a future that includes a lot of winter jackets and frozen fingers if he doesn’t pack gloves. Because of that, he stays off the national media’s radar and off nationally televised broadcasts.

Karl-Anthony Towns is getting shit on because he’s dedicated to playing hard and trying to turn a culture that’s lived at the bottom of the NBA for two decades. Wiggins got a starting All-Star nod tonight because Steph Curry and Steve Kerr convinced him to play defense and stop taking long step-back two’s.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

When the dust settles on the 2020-21 NBA season, Monday night’s Minnesota Timberwolves “L” will be just another hidden addend to a long addition problem that shows only the final sum. Right now, that sum is 12 (with 4 wins) but Andrew Wiggins made the latest addition hurt a bit more than any of the 11 prior.

Three steals and another three blocks for Andrew Wiggins tonight. Up to 28 blocks on the season. Sixth in the NBA, behind five centers. Also had 23 points on 10/19 FG in his first career game vs Minnesota.

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 26, 2021

Wiggins had a big game last night and has certainly been better in Oakland than he was in Minneapolis. But a lot of that is based on his new environment and different expectations, which Jon Krawczynski laid out beautifully this morning for The Athletic.

Postgame Praise… for Thibs?

After the Warriors dominated the Timberwolves, Andrew was doing his postgame interview and praising Golden State for their championship structure, organization and professionalism. None of that struck me as surprising, given we’ve heard the same things from many who have left Minnesota for more successful teams.

Wiggins did say, however, that it’s not the first time he’s played for a regime with such executive expectations. According to Andrew, playing for the championship-laden Golden State Warriors feels a lot like playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves under…. Tom Thibodeau.

“It’s different, because everything here is organized. You know what you’re doing every night,” Wiggins said. “You know what you’re getting yourself into, you know the minutes you’re going to play, you know your rotation.

“There was a couple years like that in Minnesota where everything, you know everything. That was with Coach Thibs. Thibs was very organized. Thibs was very clear, he was very straightforward. That’s one thing they do here. They’re very straightforward. They’re not going to sugar-coat nothing. There’s no trick questions, so it’s good.”

Andrew Wiggins (quote via The Athletic)

I doubt Wiggins was trying to throw shade at any of the current or past Minnesota Timberwolves administrations but that’s certainly how it hit. Wiggins was here for Flip Sr, Thibs and the first 1.5 years of Gersson Rosas.

Time for reflection

Maybe the Rosas-run Timberwolves will someday be the type of “organized” and “straightforward” franchise Andrew is talking about. But these comments should open Karl, Ryan and Gersson’s eyes.

You can coddle, cuddle and give professional athletes everything they think they want, but at the end of the day, they want to win and they want successful careers. Players today may not always like the “be a pro” style of management, but that still seems to be what gains their respect.

You can’t find a better example of that than Andrew Wiggins praising the guy we though he helped run out of town.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The NBA has a new studio personality and he should stop being…. himself. He should change into something that isn’t the absolute worst. Or he should think about watching an NBA basketball game that takes place outside of NY, BOS, or Cali….

That wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Kendrick Perkins played in the NBA for 14 seasons and won a title with Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics back in 07-08. He thinks Karl-Anthony Towns is a little bitch who is highly overrated and he believes Andrew Wiggins is a superstar in hiding who is highly undervalued…

I’m serious… keep reading/scrolling. I brought proof. I know, I know, don’t laugh….

via GIPHY

Perkins has been talking shit about KAT for awhile now and that has only picked up since the blockbuster deals that completely transformed the Wolves and sent Wiggins to Golden State.

He didn’t slow down tonight, while the Timberwolves were losing in Toronto. The Raptors haven’t lost now, since January 12.

If you take Kendrick Perkins by his tweets, which is the only real way to judge anyone in 2020… then he’s kind of an idiot. At least, when it comes to analyzing NBA basketball… but he’s made some of the same uneducated claims with the TV cameras rolling too.

Kendrick Perkins on KAT:

Perkins is hard on Karl-Anthony Towns and I have no problem with that. I actually chuckled a little bit when I first heard some of these comments. You can read me write some of the same things about our young superstar.

He gets downright nasty with some of these. KAT clearly rubs some people around the league the wrong way while nobody has any negative feelings for a beige wall, since that’s what Andrew Wiggins is.

Here is what Kendrick Perkins thinks of Karl:

Got damn Shame!!! Talking about people sleeping on the Timberwolves. Got damn right WE are. https://t.co/7cIXVM6Zk5

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 2, 2020

Should Karl Anthony Towns ask for a trade? @KendrickPerkins says it’s on KAT to be playing better, but it’s hard to compete when pieces are getting traded around him. Here’s where things stand with the Timberwolves: pic.twitter.com/6EIRNF9IVG

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) February 5, 2020

Once Again KATS got want he wanted his long time friend Russell so he shouldn’t have anymore excuses right?!

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 6, 2020

Congratulations to @Timberwolves for getting your first WIN in 2020. Proud of you guys!!! ?

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 9, 2020

Finally get to see the Besties in action tonight against the Toronto Raptors!!! I’m locked in and ready to see what all the hype is all about! ?

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 11, 2020

The Raptors are totally disrespecting KATS! They are switching everything and playing him straight on the Block with forwards and guards! He should be punishing them but he’s not!

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 11, 2020

Kendrick Perkins on Andrew Wiggins

Here is where Kendrick Perkins goes from a hard-ass guy who really dislikes the Minnesota Timberwolves and their star Karl-Anthony Towns… to a guy who clearly has no fucking idea what he is talking about.

Either that or he has never watched a Minnesota Timberwolves game in his life. This option is definitely a real possibility. Say what you want about the softness of KAT or whether he brings his best night-in and night-out.

But whatever criticisms you hold against Karl on the court, especially when it comes to consistent energy and effort, they are trampled by what Wiggins has shown throughout his career.

Andrew Wiggins, or the ghost of what he should be, is the biggest waste of talent in NBA history. By the time it is all said and done, KAT will be able to take Andrew Wiggins’ career, and use it to wipe his dog’s ass.

Get ready to close your eyes… some of these Perkins takes on Andrew Wiggins are as cringeworthy as watching Michael Scott give wedding toasts on repeat…

I think it’s time for Wiggins and Minnesota to part ways!!! Wiggins need some real MFs around that’s going to hold him accountable. I honestly think he needs a Miami Heat Type Culture!??‍♂️

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 3, 2020

I’m actually Happy for Wiggins!!! Golden State is the environment that he needs to be in. It’s all about Culture and Accountability and I believe he will have one his best seasons next year with a healthy GS team!

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 6, 2020

This is what Wiggins needed! Love this by Steve Kerr!!! https://t.co/ajiaFnZR8Z

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 7, 2020

Unless GS plan on moving Wiggins this off season which I don’t think they will, I hope he kills next season. The hate and the slander on this kid is unreal to say that this man is a bad basketball and his career average is almost 20 points a game on 44 percent shooting.

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 9, 2020

Again this is Andrew Wiggins Stats over his 6 year career!!! I’m going to say this again this young man is NOT A BAD BASKETBALL PLAYER. pic.twitter.com/FZF6xAvm3S

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 9, 2020

To recap, Kendrick Perkins had a very successful playing career in the NBA. He is also a shining example of why some players are way better on the court, than they are at analyzing the game from afar.

Or, he could just try. Before he starts shitting on KAT while giving blumpkins to Andrew Wiggins, he might want to watch 5 minutes of a Timberwolves game, before Wiggins was gone.

If he really wants to have nightmares, he can watch any game from last season, when most of Minnesota finally gave up on Wig. He wants to look so hard at box scores, but doesn’t want to recognize Andrew Wiggins’ inability to get past the number 3, anywhere outside of the “PTS” category.

But, Kendrick clearly watches his fair share of Golden State Warriors games, so he will soon find out how idiotic his tweets and statements really are.

When STANDrew Wiggins puts up one of those — 4/17 FG | 13 PTS | 3 REB | 1 AST — games in a couple of weeks or when he starts costing the Warriors wins next season, when their games start mattering again, Perkins might realize how stupid he really was back in early February, 2020.

Until then, I’ll be here to see it for him.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

If there is a basketball heaven.. the Golden State Warriors are guaranteed a spot up in the clouds, after what happened today. Steve Kerr, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson laid their franchise on the train tracks, tied it up with thick reliable rope, and watched its insides spray everywhere, as the train of Andrew Wiggins splattered it into a state of no future.

And they did it for us. They sacrificed their own franchise to save the Minnesota Timberwolves. Much like The story of Abraham in the Old Testament, they were willing to do whatever it took to give the Timberwolves a 47th opportunity to save the organization…. even if it meant dragging their own franchise to the top of the mountain, knife in-hand, and slaughtering it in sacrificial ceremony to the basketball gods.

Not only did they take Andrew Wiggins… but in return, they gave us D’Angelo Russell, who Gersson Rosas has been stalking since this summer, and only required one 1st round pick to seal the deal…

Timberwolves 2021 pick protected to No. 3, and becomes unprotected in 2022, per sources. Minnesota kept pushing for Russell, who it has wanted since summer free agency and finally got the point guard Gerssson Rosas imagined pairing with KAT. https://t.co/kfDNvsdBHX

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020

They didn’t have to do it. There is nothing about this trade that benefits the Golden State Warriors, yet Steve Kerr & Co. pulled the trigger. When nobody else felt bad for us, Steve Kerr was there. He put his foot down and said, “somebody should help this terrible franchise and their desperate fanbase… why shouldn’t it be me?”

And he was right… Timberwolves fans have been locked up in a dungeon with no windows, by Glen Taylor for nearly two decades. Meanwhile, he’s fucking over our own basketball legends in business dealings.

Minnesota basketball needed a hero… We needed someone to save us from Glen Taylor.

So, Steve Kerr put on his cape and flew in to save the day. This deserves martyrdom in the state of Minnesota. We should name him a Saint and give him a couple streets… maybe a building or two. We’ve been looking for a new name that will stick for “Lake Calhoun”…

What about “Lake Steve Kerr”?

I’d be happy to have my tax dollars go toward that cause… Think about it. Most of us were ready to give up on basketball in this state. The same state that founded the Lakers Franchise and once employed a PoBO legend like David Kahn… had now fallen so so far.

But, there is hope now.

Andrew Wiggins is gone. We will never see him in a Minnesota Timberwolves jersey again unless we are watching depressing re-runs during the scariest of our nightmares…

No more spin move highlights that make us wonder where he’s been all game (or all season)… No more 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 statlines… and no more halftime interviews that would be better filled with Ben Stein documentaries on algae growth in Lake Mille Lacs…

And it’s all thanks to the Golden State Warriors… who just ruined their franchise, in order to save our Minnesota Timberwolves.

From the bottom of our cold Minnesota hearts, Thank you.

Who just ruined the Golden State franchise??? pic.twitter.com/eG6r24oczV

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) February 6, 2020

We laughed, cried and danced on YouTube today after this franchise-saving news broke:

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

I came across this tweet late last night before running to the Woj Pod this morning. Luckily, Woj wastes no times getting into the Timberwolves likely plans for this week. He started with us because the Wolves apparently hold the keys to free agency… yes, he actually said that.

Wow.@wojespn is “very confident” that Robert Covington gets traded this week.

Per his new podcast.

— Timberwolves News (@NotDWolfson) February 3, 2020

I think one place to start in the Western Conference, is in Minnesota, because they’ve got… I think there’s multiple possible deals for them, with more than one player. And so, I think they hold a little bit of the key to what this next week might look like.

Adrian Wojnarowski – Woj Pod – 2/2/20

Alright, now we are talking! I’ve been waiting a long time to be excited about the Timberwolves again. This week is that week! When your team is bad like the Wolves are, then all you have to get excited about is offseason and trade deadline topics.

Woj has Bobby Marks on this episode, a former NBA GM and one of the most respected insiders in the league, and this is how they started the show.

But really, this conversation is about Robert Covington. Woj and Bobby mention other trade-able assets, including Gorgui Dieng and Andrew Wiggins. He says that Wiggins is the asset holding the Wolves back from making any huge statement moves… which isn’t surprising.

However, he does mention that Wiggins is only in his mid-twenties, with just 3 years left on this disgusting max-deal, after 2019-20. At least it’s being talked about now, right?

We could definitely see Gorgui Dieng go. He had a bad contract but has played well this year and only has one year left on the deal, making him a desirably commodity at this year’s deadline.

But let’s get to Robert Covington:

Robert Covington is a player I’m very confident they are going to trade, at some point this week and they’ve got to figure out what that deal looks like for them.

I think any number of contenders would like Covington. The question always is, ‘what price?’, and what does it look like? They need a point guard and that’s been a big part of their struggles this year.

Adrian Wojnarowski – Woj Pod – 2/2/20

Woj would go on to talk about how hard the Wolves worked to get D’Angelo Russell on their team last offseason, before the sign/trade with Golden State that landed him a max deal.

Marks and Woj definitely leave the door wide open, on Russell being the asset we get back for dealing RoCo this week… but also says the Warriors aren’t in any hurry to move him.

So, for the Russell addicts out there, you have hope… but don’t get too excited. Either way, both Marks and Woj seem to agree that the Wolves could be one of the most active teams on the market this week and that franchise-altering moves will be made.

And I’m all for some excitement around pro basketball in Minnesota

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Minnesota Timberwolves dropped their 7th-straight game on Friday night, losing to the star studded Los Angeles Clippers 124-117. The Wolves now own the second longest current losing streak in the NBA, behind the New Orleans Pelicans, who have 11 losses in a row (more good news on the Pelicans below). The Wolves have a lackluster 4-12 record at the Target Center this year and have yet to win a game in the month of December.

    Despite a rather surprising late comeback effort, the Clippers were just too much. Towns & Co. had no answer when it came to stopping Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, combining for a total of 88 points. Almost half of Kawhi’s points came at the free throw line where he was a perfect 17-17, it is really hard to keep a guy in check when you give him 17 points from the line. Leonard had more points from the charity stripe than all but 3 Timberwolves, had total points. 

    Although the Wolves continued their losing streak, there were some positives to take from this game. Former #1 picks, Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony Towns, scored a combined 73 points. Towns provided his 19th double-double on the season, with 12 rebounds to go along with his 39 points. 

    As of right now, it seems like the Timberwolves will be stuck in the middle of the pack once again, leaving them with an end of lottery draft pick. I say we tank for *Lamelo Ball and start our own big three!

    I mean really, all I want for Christmas is to write a positive article about any Minnesota Basketball team… is that too much to ask for?

    The Wolves look to get of the schneid against,-that’s right; the coldest team in the NBA, the New Orleans Pelicans, Wednesday night at the Target Center.

*sarcasm

Cam Thompson | Minnesota Sports Fan

SUBSCRIBE ON ON YOUTUBE TO WATCH LIVE | MONDAY-FRIDAY

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On Tuesday’s episode of Minnesota Sports & Stuff, Eric and Seth are are talking about how bad Gopher MBB and the Timberwolves looked last night.. it’s gonna be a long winter. We also chat about all of the coaching awards PJ Fleck is racking up

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It's that [big] time of the month again! Who gets November's #BIGTIMEPOM Flannel?! (Highlights and stats for each nominee in thread)

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) December 4, 2019

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According to the fan vote, Rashod Bateman will be a landslide winner for November’s Minnesota Sports Fan BIG TIME Player of the Month, receiving the 2nd flannel we’ve handed out…. well, kind of. Due to NCAA rules, Gopher players who win the MSF BIG TIME POM Flannel can’t collect the award until A.) times change or B.) they get out of school. No worries. If Rashod or any other Gophers win, we’ll keep their flannels housed safely until they are legally able to collect them…

Anyway, I’m a bit surprised at the landslide this has turned into. Unless the facebook and website visitors decide to dive hard into the vote today, and they go away from Bateman, he’s going to win in a landslide. Sometimes I think we get so used to how great KAT is, that he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. Then, I thought fans might vote Wiggins in, just so they could see me hand him a flannel after slandering his play for so long…. But if things continue like this, it’ll be tough for the committee to ignore Bateman. Even if they did, I’d be hard-pressed to choose anyone other than him, in the tie-break, with an uneven fan vote like this… [see how selection process works here]

If you want more facts before you make your decision, I can certainly respect that. I attached a highlight video with a November state table for each nominee, to the fan vote over on twitter. Here those are:

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KAT nearly went for a triple-double in this game vs the Hawks. He finished November with a stupid stat line:

25.5 PTS | 12.8 REB | 4.2 AST | 1.3 BLK | .638 TS% | .390 3PT | 20.8 GMSCR pic.twitter.com/X6YFkU4DJH

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) December 4, 2019

Tanner Morgan had probably the best month of any QB in Gopher Football history, racking up an unbelievable line (below) that started with this performance vs Penn State to kick off November (video)

4 GM: 10 TD | 2 INT | 1214 YDS | 67% CMP | 180.2 RTG pic.twitter.com/7x4xbpdgD3

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) December 4, 2019

Andrew Wiggins went off twice vs the Spurs last month… he’s been a completely different player. I’ve never been happier to be wrong… Andrew’s November was ?:

48.3% FG | 39.5 3PT | 27.1 PPG | 5.3 RPG | 4.1 APG | 1.4 BPG | .559 TS% | 18.6 GMSCR pic.twitter.com/0gWVN6y0ck

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) December 4, 2019

Rashod Bateman is a freak. The future 1st round pick had a future 1st round pick kind of November:

4GM | 26 REC | 526 YDS | 5 TD | 20.2 AVG | 66 LNG pic.twitter.com/TLHd8g0H8m

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) December 4, 2019

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In case you missed it, our first-ever BIG TIME POM Flannel was awarded to Kirk Cousins for his ridiculous month of October. We will award one flannel each month, to the biggest performer out of the 6 teams we cover (Vikings, Twins, Wolves, Wild, Gopher FB, Gopher MBB).

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Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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I mean…. I’ve never been this happy to prepare crow before. I want to eat every negative word I’ve ever spit out about Andrew Wiggins, more than the Little Caesars I just dominated for lunch. I LOVE THE TIMBERWOLVES. I feel like I have to proclaim that far too often… 

There are so many things that are better about Andrew Wiggins’ game this year, it’s hard to pick a spot to start. An obvious change in mentality is probably the stem of everything. Tom Thibodeau wasn’t the guy for Andrew. In hindsight, that’s obvious. But, Ryan Saunders has been around for a long time and he’s never been able to reach Andrew Wiggins like this. Something seems to have clicked. This new love that’s been found inside of the Timberwolves locker room seems to have made a much more aggressive Andrew on the floor.

Maybe we should have started with his confidence but it’s really a “chicken or egg” argument between that and his new mentality. Wiggins is playing with confidence and aggressiveness I haven’t seen since his first couple of seasons in the league. That confidence is clearly easier to build in the environment that Rosas & Co. have instilled, than in any environment he’s been in previously, it seems to be exponentially festering and growing because of this new system on the court, too.

He’s taking better shots and he’s making better decisions. But again, those shots and that decision-making come from focus, confidence, and the aggressiveness that he is playing with.

I went through Twitter and found some highlights from last night that show exactly what I am talking about. It started from the beginning of the game. Wiggins got lined up on a much smaller Bryn Forbes (6-2, 190 lbs) and the Wolves were clearly ready for the matchup. Wiggins went to work immediately. This was a matchup that the Wolves took advantage of all night long. It’s smart basketball and Wiggins’ aggressiveness is almost eye-opening, if you’ve been watching him for the last 3 seasons:

WIGGS WORK pic.twitter.com/c2dDj0NkDL

— Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 14, 2019

Another big problem with Andrew Wiggins, in the past, was his inability to see shooters or open slashers when he had the ball. Recently, we are finding out that his perriphials indeed work… really well. 

NBA Scout, Brian Oringher, sent me a great YouTube video this morning (embedded below – subscribe to his YouTube channel – it’s worth it) that he made, on what has lead to this new and improved Andrew Wiggins and he focuses a lot on Wiggins’ new eye for hitting open teammates, but you can see it at work right here, too. Wiggs probably finishes this himself easily… but why not rack up an easy assist and get another teammate going, for an even easier basket?

the ball movement
the shot

everything about this is B-E-A-UTIFUL pic.twitter.com/llRCFE4Tcj

— Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 14, 2019

As I said earlier, you CANNOT deny the impact that this new Rosas + Saunders regime has had on Wiggins game, either. A perfect example, is this basket from Andrew in the 2nd half. This new offensive scheme is all about spacing and reacting to what the defense gives you. That allows Wiggins to play to his strength, and when he sees an opening, to hit it hard. 

When the ball is coming up the floor, on this highlight below, find all 5 Wolves. Nobody’s sneakers touch any wood inside of the 3-point line until Andrew Wiggins steps on it, with the ball in hand, after an absolutely disgusting screen from Gorgui Dieng (that I’m 97.2% sure actually took the soul of Lonny Walker). From there, the talent, instinct, and newly found will to get to the rim, took over. There’s nothing impeding one of the best athletes in the NBA from getting to the basket when he wants it like Wiggins does right now… I just can’t believe I’m typing sentences like this.

oh, look it's @22wiggins's fourth 30-point game…

IN. THE. PAST. SEVEN. DAYS.

??????????????? pic.twitter.com/wtp4mikGGO

— Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 14, 2019

The last thing I’m going to touch on with video from last night, is Andrew Wiggins shot confidence right now. This guy is knocking down 3’s at a 40%+ clip over his last 7 games and when a guy can hit with accuracy like that while also getting to the basket, like we just talked about Wiggins doing in the last highlight, he becomes impossible to guard. Weird, it’s a lot easier to knock down an open or slightly contested 3, than it is a 19 ft turnaround jumper, with a hand in your face.

But this clip shows his confidence, not necessarily shot selection. He’s probably guarded here… but fuck, this is the new Andrew and the new Andrew knocks down 3’s when he’s guarded apparently:

ladies and gentlemen…

?????????????????????
??? THE HOTTEST PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE ???
????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/7Rqm0QCw9B

— Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 14, 2019

Obviously, an improved Andrew Wiggins article almost can’t be written without something on his defense. Once again, Andrew seems to have done the impossible, and he’s become a completely different player on that end of the floor too. For this, I’ll embed Brian’s video because he focuses on Wiggins’ defense at the end, where he points out just how much more mentally involved the former Kansas Jayhawks star has become. He is playing help where he should be helping and staying or getting back to his man in ways I’ve never seen from him. In general though, it again comes down to his mentality. He’s remaining mentally involved, even when others around the league might not. That’s putting him in better positions, both physically, for steals and defensive rebounds. It’s fun to watch…

Yes, the Minnesota Timberwolves are fun to watch. Andrew Wiggins isn’t frustrating to watch, either. Those two things usually go hand-in-hand.

Soon, I’ll start unlocking some of those deeply hidden away passages of my mind, where it wonders what the Timberwolves might be able to do with an always-ready and at his best, Andrew Wiggins. I’m not ready to go there yet… but, I NEVER thought I’d be giving blow job writing blogs to him about him either. So, anything is possible.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Karl-Anthony Towns is going to lead us back to the playoffs ? #minnesota #timberwolves pic.twitter.com/naXv8b6jrg

— Timberwolves Nation (@TWolvesNationCP) October 15, 2019

Lol and I’m sure regular season Andrew Wiggins is going to rebound too….. #TWolves https://t.co/q05sZCxTQc

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 15, 2019

Here’s where I come in and throw a big bucket of cold reality on the Timberwolves’ fan base. Then, everyone gets really pissed off and I get a lot of comments about me being a “real MN sports fan”, but then I end up being right every time (but nobody comes back to give me credit down the road, FYI). I see the fucking future, people. The sooner you trust in that, the better off you’ll be.

The only chance the Wolves have at becoming a playoff team in 2019 lies with Andrew Wiggins. That is also why they have no chance at being a playoff team in 2019. Now that the preseason is nearing a handful of games in the bag, I feel even more confident in my claims that the Wolves will suck. Why? Well, Andrew Wiggins of course.

Here is a chart showing Wiggins’ numbers last year vs. this preseason, adjusted for comparison. So far this preseason (through 4 games) Wiggins has averaged 16.9 minutes per game. Last year during the regular season, he averaged 34.8 minutes (2.06x his 2019 preseason). So, I’m taking his totals numbers from this preseason x 2.06.

(Numbers came from NBA.com)

If you love Andrew Wiggins, I want to stop you right now. I know where this is going: “This is preseason. Of course he isn’t going to go all-out in the preseason.” Normally, I would agree with you. I would want to wait until the regular season because these games mean nothing. But, here is why it is the only sample size you need for Wiggins:

He’s a fucking robot. Maybe Andrew opens up and is a completely different person around people he knows and his family. It’s definitely not a crime to be a quiet guy who likes routine. I don’t know that side of Andrew but I’ve heard nothing but great things about him, personally. The side I know (and the side I care about) plays basketball professionally and gets paid a lot of money to do it. This team needs Andrew Wiggins to do more. They need him to shoot better shots, make them, get to the FT line, make them, play good defense with his long athletic physique, and use his height advantage on 2-guards to rebound and start breaks (where he’s at his best).

Unfortunately though, none of that is possible, even though we would all like to dream it into reality. Andrew Wiggins is a complete fucking robot. He sounds like a robot when he gives interviews and he plays like a robot (and not a very good one) when he’s on the court. Coaches have been telling this guy the same fucking thing for his entire career and nothing ever changes. I think people worry that I hurt his feelings when I write these blogs about him but I’m not convinced he has feelings or that he cares…. about anything relating to basketball. I wish I could get him pissed off a little bit. I would happily fall on that sword for the rest of Minnesota. If I could be the one who irritates Andrew Wiggins into a better version of himself. but it means he will hate me forever (along with half of the fan base), I am happy to be that guy. Life is about sacrifices and I am the ultimate team player.

But again, none of it matters with Andrew, or it would have happened already.

This also has nothing to do with Andrew Wiggins’ work ethic, either. I have no issues with that. Wiggins gets his work in and he is in the gym and working on his craft a lot, from all accounts. It has nothing to do with anything, off the court. It’s all up in his head, while he is on the court. He doesn’t have the awareness + aggressiveness that it takes to be really good in this league. His brain clearly doesn’t tell him to crash the boards, when opportunities present themselves and he doesn’t see the floor very well when he has the ball in his hands. We’ve seen him go into “kill mode” a couple of times through his career but it isn’t something that comes out regularly, nor something he seems comfortable with.

Andrew Wiggins just is what he is… He’s best suited for a volume scoring role, off of the bench, on a good team…. where he isn’t being paid a max deal that prevents the Wolves from being relevant, because they can’t go sign the guy who should be playing ahead of him. It sucks, but it’s where the Wolves are at. That’s why I’ve been calling for a Wiggins trade since forever. Maybe during or after this year, when he only has 3+ years left on the worst contract in sports history, somebody will be willing to let us unload him for a future favor or a rim job or something… if Rosas really cares about winning, he’ll do whatever it takes to free up Andrew Wiggins’ money as fast as possible, before KAT realizes he’s as fucked as I already know he is.

@realmnsportsfan pic.twitter.com/jkFwXtz8sX

— Seth Toupal (@sethtoups) October 16, 2019

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan