The Minnesota Timberwolves managed to pull off a win against the rebuilding Chicago Bulls despite a no-show from swingman Andrew Wiggins, who totaled zero points, one rebound, one assist and a turnover during his 29 minutes on the court.
The 23-year-old struggled mightily, shooting a disastrous 0-for-12 from the field and 0-for-4 from deep, yet he's still unfazed by the nightmarish outing he put up on Saturday.
“It’s just one bad game,” said Andrew Wiggins, according to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I shot my way into it. I’m just going to shoot my way out of it.”
While the confidence is a welcome sight, the sheer disregard for his poor performance is the very reason Wiggins received so much flak from outsiders after it became known Jimmy Butler had issues with his lack of competitiveness.
The Canadian was awarded a whopping, four-year, $148 million extension in 2017, and he has yet to show any signs of earning it. He is averaging 15.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game throughout the season — a rather pedestrian stat line for a player who is getting paid like a max talent.
Wiggins has failed to evolve as a playmaker, defender or strong rebounder. He has shown some improvement as a 3-point shooter, but not by much, shooting it at a mere 36.5 percent this season while making close to two treys per game.
Perhaps what is most worrisome is Andrew Wiggins' clear decline in free-throw shooting, as he went from attempting seven free throws per game in his second season to declining ever since — now only getting to the line an average of 2.3 times per outing.