Thunder Rookie Aaron Wiggins Taking Advantage of Training Camp Opportunities
Thunder rookie Aaron Wiggins was yet again a nice piece off the bench during OKC’s preseason opener on Monday.
Throughout Summer League play, Wiggins consistently brought the energy for the Oklahoma City reserves, slicing up defenses with his mid-range game.
He hit another couple of tough shots during Monday night’s preseason opener. Seeing action late in the fourth quarter, Wiggins shot 4-of-5 from the field, finishing with 12 points after knocking down all three of his 3-point attempts.
“I was just really eager,” Wiggins said after practice on Wednesday. “Really excited to kind of experience that first game.
“Whether it’s preseason or regular season, I was just looking forward to getting the opportunity to go out there and compete with the guys.”
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said he knows no matter when he calls upon Wiggins, he knows that he’ll be a willing contributor.
“We learned in Summer League he’s ready to go when the ball’s in the air,” Daigneault said.
Wiggins said the Summer League experience was great because it helped him get a better understanding for the step up in physical competition in the NBA, setting the table for him to have a good training camp.
“It kind of just laid a foundation and a little bit of a base for what I was going to be going into,” Wiggins said. “The physicality and the pace. The actions that you’re going through and stuff, there’s a lot that you kind of have to adjust to.
“But we’re taking it one day at a time. I’m continuing to kind of get a feel for it all.”
While Wiggins’ mid-range game was excellent in college, Daigneault said they are working on ensuring that Wiggins has a better shot selection throughout the year, and Wiggins has responded well so far.
“One of the things we talked about was making sure he’s developing a really sustainable style of play,” Daigneault said. “He was really good in practice again today.”
Wiggins appears to be primed to continue to get plenty of opportunities throughout the preseason, especially if he continues to take advantage of those minutes during each game.
“He’s got a lot of advocates in the building because there’s people that believe in him,” Daigneault said.
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