Aaron Wiggins Shows Off Versatility in OKC Thunder Loss

Oklahoma City fell in heartbreaking fashion on Wednesday night, marking the end of undefeated teams in the NBA. With the Thunder now sitting at 8-1, there are no teams left unblemished across the league.

It was a disappointing night for the Thunder, as it was a very winnable game. Even with many key rotation players out — including three starters — Oklahoma City still led by 20 points in the first half and put up an impressive 41-point opening quarter. They took their foot off the gas too early, though, and the bench unit couldn’t sustain Portland’s runs as the home crowd got behind the Blazers.

There weren’t too many positives to take away from the loss, as Portland simply outplayed Oklahoma City down the stretch. But the most encouraging thing for the Thunder had to be Aaron Wiggins, and how he showcased his offensive versatility. The Blazers had no answer for the Thunder’s do-it-all wing all game long. He was the biggest reason why Oklahoma City had a chance to win.

Wiggins is known to be a scorer, that’s clear. He’s a solid transition player and has displayed an impressive ability to finish around the rim in crafty fashion. He’s another guy on the Thunder’s bench that excels in isolation and can help bail the team out of stagnant possessions. On Wednesday night, though, he displayed another side of his offensive bag.

He tied a season-high in 3-point attempts, and honestly, the team would’ve been fine with a few more. Wiggins went 7-of-10 from behind the 3-point line and turned into a volume sharpshooter from the outside.

Wiggins has proven again and again that he can be any type of scorer that Oklahoma City needs him to — Wednesday night it just so happened to be a volume 3-point shooter. He turned into arguably his best performance of the season, too, pouring in 27 points on 10-of-19 from the floor, two assists, two rebounds, and three steals. In a game where Oklahoma City lost by two points, Wiggins was a +12 — by far the Thunder’s most efficient player in that department.

He has done a rock solid job filling in for Jalen Williams and Oklahoma City’s other injured players. On the season, Wiggins is averaging 14.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 41.7% from 3-point range. He’s taking a career-high 6.7 triples per game, too.

Last night was evidence that Oklahoma City desperately needs the rest of its roster and top contributors back. The team has done a fantastic job of steadying the ship and finding ways to win, but Oklahoma City looked tired in the second half — and rightfully so. This team needs its starters back in the lineup.

But until then, Wiggins will keep shouldering a big offensive load as he’s done to begin the season. He’s doing all he can, and he’s doing a rock solid job in whatever offensive role Oklahoma City needs him to play.