Andrew Wiggins?

#2
So, Andrew Wiggins? I know this isn't in the prospects thread, but has anyone heard of him? Or if they have, what's the scoop? Star or bust?

Moved from Lounge - VF21
Most of the scouts that I have read or heard talk about Wiggins have said that he is the best prospect to come along since LeBron James.
 
#3
Physically he is an outstanding specimen, but his skills are nowhere near Lebron's when he came into the League. Still he seems to be a unanimous #1 in 2014.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#5
Either Wiggins or Parker could end up being the number one pick. And I disagree with Gilles, I think Wiggins is very skilled. I won't get into who is better at the same age, but there's no doubt he has superstar potential written all over him. Parker is a more physical player, while still being an outstanding athlete. Some of the highschool all star games will be worth watching, because I'm sure the two will be pitted against one another in most of them.

Let me premise this by saying that the NBA graveyard is littered with the bones of players that were projected as superstars. Its the intangibles that make the difference. And those don't show up in a stat line. So we'll see.
 
#6
Either Wiggins or Parker could end up being the number one pick. And I disagree with Gilles, I think Wiggins is very skilled. I won't get into who is better at the same age, but there's no doubt he has superstar potential written all over him. Parker is a more physical player, while still being an outstanding athlete. Some of the highschool all star games will be worth watching, because I'm sure the two will be pitted against one another in most of them.

Let me premise this by saying that the NBA graveyard is littered with the bones of players that were projected as superstars. Its the intangibles that make the difference. And those don't show up in a stat line. So we'll see.
Haven't seen much of the kid yet, but he doesn't seem to have any obvious personality issues, and he's got a great work ethic to keep this up since he was 13.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#9
Haven't seen much of the kid yet, but he doesn't seem to have any obvious personality issues, and he's got a great work ethic to keep this up since he was 13.
Look, just because we happen to have a player in Cousins that suffers from maturity issues, doesn't mean you have to premise every post about every player with concerns about his personality issues. At this level, we should just be concerned about his skill level, and his athleticism. Not everyone in this world is going to love one another, but they can be taught to work with one another. The Oakland A's won several world championships with a team that got into clubhouse fights on a regular basis. The Oakland Raiders of old, that won the super bowl, was made up of, in many cases, talented rejects from around the league. I don't give a damm if a player offends the personal sensitivities of some people, as long as he's not on drugs, robbing the local liquer store in his spare time, driving a 110 miles an hour down interstate 80, or beating his girlfriend. The rest of the stuff is just media BS.

Don't get me wrong, it sells newspapers and gives the national media something to fill with. But in fact, other than the affect his actions may have on a particular game, Cousins hurts himself more than anyone else. I think we tend to forget that. The real victim in this drama is Cousins. He's a victim of himself. He gets a lot of help from other teams that go out of their way to provoke him, and the media thats always looking for some dirt to shovel on someone. Do you know what separates Cousins from, lets say a Reggie Evans, Ron Artest, or a Dennis Rodman? Cousins cares! He gets upset when he's accused of something. He gets confused as to why he perceived the way he is. Evans and Rodman didn't care, and at times, I'm not sure that Artest even knew that he did something weird. They intentionally did what they did on the court to intimidate, or distract their opponnet.

So which is worse? A player that does things that tend to be unacceptable out of the passion of the moment, or a player that does something unacceptable in a very cold and calulating way?
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#10
First, there's no way to guarantee you'd get Wiggins, unless you did it on draft day, and you better have that deal worked out in advance, and hope that the team your trading with thinks that Tyreke will be a better player than Wiggins. The odds are very very slim. Next years draft is loaded with very good players, so we should get someone that can help the team regardless of where we pick. Hopefully, we'll get lucky.
 
#11
First, there's no way to guarantee you'd get Wiggins, unless you did it on draft day, and you better have that deal worked out in advance, and hope that the team your trading with thinks that Tyreke will be a better player than Wiggins. The odds are very very slim. Next years draft is loaded with very good players, so we should get someone that can help the team regardless of where we pick. Hopefully, we'll get lucky.
It's heartbreaking. There's a PF with good hands and passing skills that can play both Face up and Back To Basket, who can score, shoot, and pass like a guard and rebound like a bigman. I....I can't invoke the name of who he resembles. If we got him, I would fall to my knees in happiness. Sure, we have bigger needs, but if we pick up a good PG in THIS draft, then tank........The one thing we need next year: worst record in the NBA. Any one of the top 4-Harrison, Randle, Parker, Wiggins-would REALLY help this team.
 
#12
Thing is next draft not only appears rich on elite talent , but on depth as well. Plus any pre-season rankings at best remotely resemble draft order. And we are still half a year away from pre-season...It's not clear that top-12 talent will be different than some of top-5 and that's all trading for potential high pick guarantees you. And trading talent for a future pick may very well improve that team to the poing of really worsening the pick - just take a look at the standings - not much is separating 3rd and 10th team.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#13
Thing is next draft not only appears rich on elite talent , but on depth as well. Plus any pre-season rankings at best remotely resemble draft order. And we are still half a year away from pre-season...It's not clear that top-12 talent will be different than some of top-5 and that's all trading for potential high pick guarantees you. And trading talent for a future pick may very well improve that team to the poing of really worsening the pick - just take a look at the standings - not much is separating 3rd and 10th team.
You have an excellent point. If we were to trade Tyreke or Thornton (just a hypothetical) for a lesser player, and their first round pick in the draft, whose to say that either of those players doesn't make that team significantly better and they make the playoffs. Then what have we gained? Too big a gamble if were giving up someone on our team that has that value.
 
#14
People call Wiggins the next LeBron, but really, he's more of a Durant- still dominant, still versatile, but LeBron has greater size and strength.

People to trade: Jimmer, IT, JT, Thornton, Douglas, Salmons, Outlaw

Players to keep: Cousins, Reke, Patterson, Aldrich

Players to aquire through draft(in order of benefit, all of them would be stellar aquistitions): Andrew Wiggins, Andrew Harrison, Jabari Parker, Noah Vonleh, Julius Randle

Players to aquire via FA (in no order): Jose Calderon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Samuel Dalembert, Jamaal Tinsley, Jarrett Jack, Matt Barnes, Trevor Ariza

Players to aquire via trade (in no order):
 
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#15
People are saying he's the most touted HS prospect since LeBron, not really that he resembles LeBron in terms of his game, with the exception of elite athleticism.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#17
Vlade isn't saying that Wiggins isn't a good athlete, just that he isn't a freak athlete like Lebron is. Their two different kind of players, but talent wise, and potential wise, Wiggins is the best to come along in a while. Personally I don't think he's a shoo in for number one. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have him on our team. He has the makings of a franchise player. But he's going to get serious competition from Jabari Parker, and Julius Randle. Andrew Harrison is a very special player who is just beginning to tap his total potential. He has a build like Mitch Richmond (OK I exaggerate a little), he's 6'5", and he has true pass first PG skills by a player that can also shoot the rock.

I know we owe a 1st round pick to Cleveland, but next year is not the year to lose that pick.
 
#18
Vlade isn't saying that Wiggins isn't a good athlete, just that he isn't a freak athlete like Lebron is. Their two different kind of players, but talent wise, and potential wise, Wiggins is the best to come along in a while. Personally I don't think he's a shoo in for number one. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have him on our team. He has the makings of a franchise player. But he's going to get serious competition from Jabari Parker, and Julius Randle. Andrew Harrison is a very special player who is just beginning to tap his total potential. He has a build like Mitch Richmond (OK I exaggerate a little), he's 6'5", and he has true pass first PG skills by a player that can also shoot the rock.

I know we owe a 1st round pick to Cleveland, but next year is not the year to lose that pick.
No, I meant elite athleticism was what they had in common, but not much else.