Could Aaron Wiggins Be One Of NBA’s Most Efficient Scorers?

Over the course of the rebuild, Oklahoma City has been able to hit on a lot of under the radar prospects. From second-round picks to undrafted names, the Thunder continues to find production anywhere — and that’s what makes this team so good.

Each hidden gem that the Thunder has discovered has been able to fit into a specific role on the team. There’s really no confusion, which allows them to excel at their specialty. Lu Dort is a defensive menace and has developed a devastating 3-point shot. Isaiah Joe is a complete sniper. Jaylin Williams is the perfect bench guy with a voice in the locker room. And Aaron Wiggins? He’s just a dang good basketball player.

For a while, Wiggins was known as a do-it-all gadget player for the Thunder. Even when the team was gunning for the lottery, Wiggins clearly made them a better squad whenever he was on the floor. While he still does it all, and does it all well, he has evolved into a player with a specific niche — just like the rest of Oklahoma City’s gems. He’s a pure scorer — that’s what the Thunder will rely on him to do this upcoming season. And his rapid improvement has given him a case to be one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA.

During the 2023-24 season, Wiggins easily could’ve been in the discussion for the most efficient scoring guard — his sample size was just too small, though. He averaged 6.9 points per game in just under 16 minutes, and shot 56.2% from the floor and 49.2% from 3-point range. He was simply an unbelievable bench piece for the Thunder, and they understood how smooth his game was. It’s no surprise that this past season, the coaching staff heavily emphasized an increase in volume — good things happen when Wiggins is taking shots.

He increased his volume heavily and took a few more contested shots during the 2024-25 campaign. His efficiency dipped, sure, but he was still a machine offensively. Wiggins averaged 12.0 points off the bench on 48.8% from the floor and 38.3% from 3-point range. His 9.6 shot attempts was easily a career-high — he responded well to the uptick in volume.

Entering a season where Oklahoma City will look to repeat, his scoring will be needed in a big way. And now that he’s comfortable with an increased shot appetite, and has a feel for the extended role he’ll be playing, Wiggins could once again take that leap in efficiency as he did before.

“I guess we'll see,” Wiggins said when asked about a potential leap this year. “There's different things that everybody is going to be hoping to have more, whether that's of a role or bigger expansion in something. We'll see how things play out but just trying to do whatever it takes to help the team win more than anything.”

He’s certainly off to a good start. As the Thunder rested the majority of the rotation in the preseason opener, Wiggins treated it as an opportunity and got straight to work. On Sunday night against the Hornets, Wiggins played 24 minutes and poured in 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting and 2-of-4 from 3-points range. He looked comfortable and confident leading the Thunder’s offense, and that’s shouldn’t come as a surprise at all. Anytime the Thunder’s stars missed time last season, it was always Wiggins pouring in the points.

Heading into year two of a high-volume bench role, Wiggins could make a case for himself as the most efficient scoring guard in the league. Only time will tell, but Oklahoma City is lucky to have him.