Andrew Wiggins scouting report, the maybe future of the Sixers

It’s no secret, with the draft-night trade of Jrue Holiday, what the Sixers are trying to do. Sam Hinkie and Sixers management have decided that instead of competing to be an eight seed in the playoffs, they are going to tank next season in the hopes that they can land the number one draft pick. Landing the number one draft pick next season may mean a tad more than this year. Hell, landing the number two draft pick next year will means more than having the number one pick in this year’s draft. Next year’s draft will likely feature two can’t miss prospects; Kansas’s Andrew Wiggins and Duke’s Jabari Parker. If the Sixers plan of tanking next season works out and they are able to land the number one pick, which is putting a lot of hope in ping-pong balls, they will likely be selecting one of these two. Wiggins is slightly favored to be the number one pick over Parker, but over the course of a year a lot can change(See Sixers roster). And the Sixers could very easily end up tanking and lose the lottery and end up with the number to pick in the draft. Regardless, on Section 215 we know that the Sixers are in for a long season. So we are going to give you some early profiles on both Wiggins and Parker, and you can feel free to read these daily as the season becomes unbearable to watch, to remind yourself that brighter times are ahead.

 Andrew Wiggins

When asked about being the first number one overall pick from Canada last night, Anthony Bennett said “hopefully next year Andrew Wiggins will be the number one pick”. And the city of Philadelphia decided about an hour later, once the Holiday for Noel trade went down, that they would prefer that if and when Wiggins is selected first overall, that he is putting on a sixers hat.

Wiggins comes from a great sports background. Wiggins mother was a sprinter for Canada in the Olympics and his dad, Mitchell Wiggins, played six years in the NBA. Andrew himself, appears to have inherited all of his parents athletic ability, and then some.

Wiggins was the 2013 Naismith high school player of the year and Gatorade national high school player of the year. He is headed to the Kansas Jayhawks as the nations top recruit, which is largely due to his 6’8 height and reported 44 inch vertical.

Offensive breakdown 

Wiggins is 6’8, which puts him as a small forward. But if you watch tape of him, he has Allen Iverson-type speed and the speed thus far has allowed him to excell with above average, but not amazing, ball handling skills. He has drawn comparisons to LeBron James in many areas of his game, and there may be one negative that he fits the bill with in comparison to James. He needs work on his left hand, which will make defenders play him more honestly and not try to force him into double teams on his dominant right hand or force him to try to get to the hoop with his left hand. A year in college should help him to improve that aspect.

After watching some tape of Wiggins, in many aspects offensively he reminds me of a mix between Kevin Durant and LeBron James. He is much better shooter than James was coming out of high school, and his ability to hit jumpers and threes reminds me of Kevin Durant. The issue for Wiggins is that he isn’t nearly as consistent as Durant, which you won’t find on to many highlight tapes, but if you watch full game highlights of Wiggins you get the sense that his shot is still improving.

The area where he reminds me of LeBron James is that when he decides he is going to take over, he takes over at will. The issue, much like James is that sometimes he wants to get his team too involved and isn’t selfish enough. Like James, Wiggins can learn the mentality of taking over, but in some senses it would be nice if he already had it.

His passing is pretty solid, and as he improves with his left hand he should have more open looks. Not to mention if he drives to the hoop, defenses will collapse, so he doesn’t need to be a great passer to succeed with his ability to get to the hoop. What he needs to do is master his left hand the way that he has his right, and things will open up.

Wiggins (22) competes in the McDonalds high school all-american game.

Defensive Breakdown

As a defender Wiggins reminds me much more of Kevin Durant than LeBron James. Wiggins is only 205 pounds and if their is any concern about him, it’s that he may be too small. The same thing was said about Kevin Durant, and still is for that matter. The difference is that Durant weighs 235 pounds as compared to Wiggins 205.

Like Durant, Wiggins plays pretty solid perimeter defender, but will need to bulk up before he reaches the NBA to avoid getting beat up in the post. Wiggins is raw defensively, but with his athleticism and length if he decides to be a great defender he will be.

Wiggins playing defense in the McDonalds high school all-american game

What NBA Player Does Wiggins most closely resemble?

I know this sounds like a cop-out, but there really isn’t one name that I can give you for this answer. Wiggins has Iverson or Russell Westbrook type athleticism, with a game comparable to Kevin Durant. If the Sixers tank next season, and are able to win the draft lottery and draft Wiggins, they may have an NBA superstar on there hands.