Another step expected as Wiggins enters sophomore season

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*Editor's note: This preview was written before the passing of Timberwolves president and head coach, Flip Saunders

Andrew Wiggins did everything that should be expected of a No. 1 pick in his first NBA season on a bad team. While his NBA Rookie of the Year award came in a season that saw four of his fellow top-10 draft selections miss all or significant parts of the year due to injury, there was no denying Wiggins' place as one of the league's next ones.

Yet with any discussion of an up-and-coming player, there will always be room for improvement, not to mention "hot take artists." The 20-year-old Wiggins' handles, something he's talked about improving since his high school days, simply are not there yet. Then there's the less-than-satisfactory performances in the two highest-stakes games of his career to date, neither of which - it must be noted - came playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In the third round of the 2014 NCAA tournament, Wiggins went 1-of-6 from the floor and had as many turnovers as points (four), as No. 2 Kansas fell to Stanford. Then earlier this month, another four giveaways helped doom his heavily favored Canada in the FIBA Americas semifinal against Venezuela.

As the aforementioned "hot take" caveat indicates, however, it's likely a little early to start throwing labels around.

Conversely, Wiggins averaged 30 points on 56.2 percent shooting in two games last season against the Cleveland Cavaliers - the team that drafted and then traded him. And while high school performances should be taken with a grain of salt, it's worth noting he scored 57 in one game for Huntington Prep after a critical Sports Illustrated article came out.

Almost three years ago while still at Huntington, Wiggins was asked which NBA player he wanted to model his game after.

"KD," he said without hesitation.

The similarities - and differences - to Kevin Durant's game are notable. Both entered the NBA as highly touted yet raw players. Like Wiggins now, Durant's handle was a work in progress early on. "I dribbled way too high," Durant once said.

While it's tough to draw weighty conclusions from a single professional season, both had their challenges in NBA year one. Durant, closer to 6-foot-10 than his listed 6-foot-9, was frequently played at shooting guard by then-Seattle SuperSonics coach P.J. Carlesimo.

Wiggins meanwhile, who predictably was not a lights-out 3-point shooter as a rookie, was somewhat reigned in from beyond the arc anyways. This alone started a debate in the Twin Cities about coach Flip Saunders' feelings on the 3-point line.

When Durant entered the league in 2007, it wasn't a controversial opinion to suggest he'd be the next great scorer in the NBA. On the other hand, Wiggins' defensive abilities have exceeded those of Durant at the same point in his career.

None of this, of course, is to suggest that Wiggins is the next Durant. Yet where Wiggins is in his career now is not unlike where Durant was at the same stage, right down to being on a young, rebuilding team stockpiling blue chip talent through the draft. Much like Durant did with the arrival of Russell Westbrook and James Harden after him, Wiggins will be expected to become more of a vocal leader with the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns now on board.

With a team so young, it's transparent why the Timberwolves brought aboard veterans to join Kevin Garnett, in the form of Tayshaun Prince, and the league's oldest active player, Andre Miller. Neither will contribute much to box scores; their value lies elsewhere.

Wiggins, especially, should benefit from Prince's presence. While there's little to criticize in terms of Wiggins' sometimes highlight-worthy 1-on-1 defense, his work defending the pick-and-roll needs improvement. There are obvious reasons, of course. For starters, the Wolves were a bad defensive team. Wiggins needs to add weight and strength to deal with screens, something he appeared to be working on in Toronto over the summer. And while past his prime, Prince is one of the top perimeter defenders of the last decade and should help point Wiggins in the right direction.

"I'm coming in looking to learn a lot," Wiggins said in August when asked about the Prince pickup. "I can pick his brain."

The Canadian offered a pretty straightforward goal for this season in May. "Have a better season," he said. "Make the playoffs."

With the postseason remaining an extreme long shot for Minnesota, most observers will settle for further individual development from Wiggins, and to see the ascendancy continue.