OKC Thunder Needs an Aggressive Aaron Wiggins in the Postseason

Oklahoma City needs Aaron Wiggins to be aggressive and assertive off the bench.

Apr 13, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) looks to pass the ball over New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City has been one of the most dominant regular season teams of all time. The 68-14 record and cruising to the No. 1 seed in a loaded conference backs it up with flying colors. The team construction has been a thing of beauty, and now there’s only one thing left for the Thunder to do. Prove it in the playoffs.

This Thunder team was carefully constructed around a superstar, a few star role players, and a loaded bench. It’s impossible to win 68 games without a roster full of talent and multiple different options down the rotation. That’s where players like Aaron Wiggins, who is enjoying a career-year, come into play.

Wiggins has been a rock solid, reliable bench piece all season long for the Thunder. After signing a long-term team friendly deal, Wiggins has turned into one of the NBA’s most coveted role players. He can do it all, and has been asked to do so many different things for this team.

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One thing is for certain, though. Oklahoma City is at its best when Wiggins is producing at a high level. And when he’s producing at a high level, it’s usually because he’s aggressive on offense and confident in his overall game.

Over the last few weeks as Oklahoma City’s lineup has fluctuated, Wiggins’ impact has been a bit more inconsistent. When he’s on, he has looked like one of the Thunder’s top scoring options at times. There are other instances where he can get lost on the court though — not necessarily in a bad way, but sometimes he can get lost in the shuffle.

Wiggins closed the season with a 35-point performance and a 28-point performance, respectively. He netted 17 points the outing before that, too, as he enjoyed three straight games playing over 30 minutes. In the three games prior, though, Wiggins scored a combined 15 points in all three contests, shooting 4-of-16 from the floor.

We’ve seen him be aggressive with the starters and change the course of multiple games, but lately it feels like his confidence has fluctuated based on the lineup. Wiggins is a gifted scorer and a talented offensive weapon, and Oklahoma City will need to use his skills to win in the postseason. He’s the type of role player that can win you a game or two when it matters.

His shooting, slashing, and secondary creation can be a big positive for the Thunder if he plays aggressively every night.

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