Aaron Wiggins Could be OKC Thunder's X Factor in Second Round

The versatile wing might be key to the Thunder's success next round.

Apr 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) brings the ball up the court during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

Aaron Wiggins is best known as the man who saved basketball, and he might need to save his team in the second round.

After finishing 68-14 in the regular season and sweeping their first-round series, the Oklahoma City Thunder are getting ready for Monday, when they tip off the second round. While the Thunder are still awaiting the result of Saturday night’s Game 7 between the Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers to find out their opponent, they will enter the series as a heavy favorite.

The Thunder’s success and championship contender status are typically attributed to the star power of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren and the immense depth down the roster.

While Wiggins is typically a bench player and fits in as part of Oklahoma City’s depth, he bridges the gap between star power and the bench. This season, Wiggins finished as the Thunder’s fourth-leading scorer behind the big three.

At 12 points per game, Wiggins took a significant leap this season despite playing only 22.9 minutes per game, good for seventh on the team. In the first round, Wiggins also finished fourth on the team in scoring, but his placement wasn’t indicative of how well he played throughout.

Wiggins averaged 9.5 points against the Grizzlies, but he scored 21 in the team’s 51-point opening win and only 17 in the final three games. While his nine-point outing in Game 4 was important for the Thunder, they would love to see more consistency from him moving forward.

Against the Nuggets, Wiggins could prove massive in winning the bench battle against a shallow Denver team. Meanwhile, he could play a big role as another reliable scoring option against a stout Clippers defense if they were to move on.

In any case, the Thunder would love to see some big games from Wiggins in the second round. He doesn’t necessarily need to finish in double figures every night, but if he can have more 15-point games than single-digit games, he could be the key to the Thunder blowing the series open.

With so much star power and the league’s best defense already, Wiggins’ impact could be backbreaking for any team the Thunder face moving forward.

---