With Recent Injuries, Aaron Wiggins Has a Chance to Step Up

Before playing the Nuggets on Wednesday, Oklahoma City received some unfavorable news. The Thunder are severely limited offensively as a result of head coach Mark Daigneault’s statement that he would be “surprised if Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe played in the next couple of games.” Joe and Williams both sustained injuries against the Timberwolves, and it is still unknown when each player will be back to full health. After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams has been Oklahoma City’s top scorer and the team’s second-best player during the whole season. He scores 18.7 points a night on average. Joe, who averages 8.6 points on 42.4% three-point shooting, has been the team’s best outside threat. The Thunder’s run leading up to the All-Star break is severely hampered by the absence of both players. It additionally provides access to But it’s up to other players to step up.

Aaron Wiggins, who has been remarkably effective this season, is the key player to keep an eye on during the next five games. Though he often plays less than 20 minutes a night, he has consistently received minutes. However, given the injuries, that might alter. In the victory over Denver on Wednesday night, Wiggins played 25 minutes for the second time in only two games this season. Despite how brilliantly he has played, he is still in the rotation and only gets a few minutes. He is adding 5.7 points and 2.3 rebounds while playing an average of 13 minutes per game this season. Wiggins is averaging a startling 60.2% field goal percentage and 55.6% three-point percentage. He is averaging 15.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per 36 minutes. He seems to be impervious to harm on the tennis court.

Wiggins performed admirably in the Thunder’s first game sans Williams and Joe. In his 25 minutes of action off the bench, he pulled down four rebounds, made two three-pointers, and scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting. At six feet six, Wiggins is a formidable opponent in a number of matchups and is also a good defender. His adaptability is appealing to a Thunder club that places a high importance on it. Wiggins will have to step up with two offensive focal points out of the lineup. There’s no reason to believe that his output will decline, even though it might be the first time all season that he has seen an increase in reliable minutes. Whenever someone has urged him to step up, he has always answered the phone.

The Thunder’s seeding may depend on his bench production with six games remaining before the All-Star break.