This afternoon at Kansas’s Allen Fieldhouse, a tall and bony kid from the City Above Toronto sat down in front of a microphone. There was a press conference, and hordes of sports reporters were there sports reporting. But it was nothing more than a formality—we all knew what he’d say. We’ve known for years.
And so, in the least surprising news you’ll hear this week, Andrew Wiggins has officially declared for the NBA draft, marking the biggest step thus far toward achieving a lifelong dream.
While one could’ve made the argument he’d benefit from more time to work on his body, mind and game before taking on the rigours of pro basketball (Sir Charles Barkley makes that case in this video, although it’s more for the benefit of enhancing the league than any personal gain for underclassmen like Wiggins, Kansas teammate Joel Embiid or Duke’s Jabari Parker, the projected top three in June’s draft), it’s not one exactly rooted in reality.
Think about it: Why would he go back to school? So he can become a better college player? To continue to learn Bill Self’s system and help get more wins for Kansas all while risking major injury and threatening not only his NBA future but his earning potential? Sorry, but that’s hilarious.
What’s more, Marcus Smart has become the go-to cautionary tale for this year’s prospect crop, who watched the Oklahoma State point guard return to school after a disappointing tourney outing in 2013. Then, like Wiggins, he could have been a top-three pick. Now? Not so much. Simply put, that decision probably cost Smart millions.
Look, obviously Wiggins’s season finale didn’t go as he’d hoped when he pulled a disappearing act in the final 10 minutes of Kansas’s Round of 32 loss to Stanford. In fact, it was a bad weekend for Wiggins on the whole. Shortly after the Jayhawks got bounced, older brother Nick and the Wichita State Shockers lost their first and only game of the season on the same floor. The day before that, Wiggins watched as long-time AAU teammate and childhood friend Tyler Ennis of Syracuse suffered an upset as well (although at least you can say that Ennis went down swinging).
But that lost weekend shouldn’t overshadow what was a stellar season for the freshman swingman. Starting all 35 games for a 25-10 Kansas squad with a merciless schedule—it was the toughest in the nation, per ESPN.com—Wiggins averaged 17 points, six rebounds, one block and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 45 percent from the floor and displaying a defensive ability that was overshadowed in his high-school career.
If those numbers aren’t what you thought they’d be at, then maybe you’re forgetting about the four other four- and five-star recruits Bill Self brought in this season. Or the already established Jayhawk stars like Perry Ellis who needed their touches, too. The reality is this Kansas team was loaded and as such could emphasize sharing the ball, and still Wiggins put up better scoring numbers than just about every other top-three drafted freshman in the past decade, including the likes of John Wall and Derrick Rose.
Of course there were times when you hoped he’d ignore the coach’s call, demand the ball and take over games despite everyone around him. And when Embiid went down toward the end of the season, we got a glimpse of that guy. Andrew Wiggins: Superstar. He averaged 28 points over his last four regular-season games, including a 41-point showcase against West Virginia.
People hoped—maybe expected—Wiggins would carry that play over to the post-season and run through the Tournament like a one-man wrecking crew. His inability, or perhaps unwillingness, to take over in the waning minutes of the Kansas-Stanford game will loom over him until commissioner Adam Silver calls his name. The fact is, he’s not Carmelo Anthony in that respect. At least not yet.
Right now he’s Andrew Wiggins: an extremely gifted athlete with a deep, versatile collection of basketball skills that will translate to the highest level of the game. Anything else is just conjecture. His ceiling is huge, as are the expectations he places on himself. And whether or not he reaches it will likely be based on countless factors, such as which team he lands on. Just know this: He doesn’t need to meet your expectations to be successful.
Right or wrong, his unselfishness had been a knock on him through most of the season. Now he’s being selfish and reaching his goal. Good for him.
