Andrew Wiggins had no filter when facing the criticism involving his development as a player, quickly pivoting to former head coach Tom Thibodeau as a reason for his struggles in the last two years. The Minnesota Timberwolves forward was given a five-year, $147 million deal after he improved after his first two seasons, though he regressed in 2017-18 and 2018-19, not only taking a step back in his scoring, but becoming more inefficient with the ball.
“I feel like I was on the rise my first three years and then some changes were made,” said Wiggins after practice on Tuesday, according to Derek James of Canis Hoopus.
Wiggins also added that yelling and screaming isn’t necessarily coaching, a nice touch to finish throwing his former coach under the bus.
Plenty of Timberwolves players had gripes about Thibodeau's coaching methods and the way they were used under his system, but to say that a two-year regression and lack of skill development is purely the coach's fault can only be described as a lack of accountability.
At 6-foot-8 and short of 200 pounds, Wiggins has failed to become a more efficient rebounder, playmaker, or even tap into his athletic abilities to become a better defender. Furthermore, his free-throw percentage dropped precipitously from a steady 76% his first three years to almost 12% below, only getting back to a more respectable 70% during this past season.
Those things simply cannot be pointed to Thibodeau, who had his faults, but none of them affecting the aforementioned.
Follow Us
Subscribe