Aaron Wiggins Generates Season-High 22-Point Performance in Win Over Spurs

The 25-year-old guard led an integral charge from the bench unit on Wednesday night.

When Aaron Wiggins gets more time on the floor, he fronts the load in saving basketball day by day. 

An honest man's work, his all-purpose skill set on the No. 1 team in the West has been indispensable, competing in a role that no other Thunder can truly replicate.

Though in an inconsistent role, Wiggins has been making the absolute most of his opportunities. And in his third season, his type of production this season on a contending team could've been foreshadowed when looking at several of his outings during Oklahoma City's dog days in 2021-22 – as well as in his sophomore year the following season.

In his rookie campaign, he'd receive the most minutes he's seen in the league with 24.2 per game, logging three 20-plus point games including his career-high 28-point outing against the Portland Trail Blazers just before the end of the Thunder's season.

The next year, he'd find just one 20-plus point game, scoring 27 as he averaged a lesser 18.5 minutes per game.

Now, in his third season on a deep Oklahoma City team, he's still proving his worth in the smallest role he's been given in his career.

On Wednesday night surmounting the San Antonio Spurs, Wiggins led a 64-point effort from the Thunder bench – producing the high score off the bench with 22 on an efficient 81.8% from the field in just 19 minutes, also adding four threes on six tries.

Establishing his season-high in points, Wiggins has progressed in virtually every statistical aspect in the month of January.

The most minutes in a month he's received this season – 14.5 a night – has seen him average 7.1 points and nearly one 3-pointer in 12 games on 64-64-100 shooting splits, granted he's only shot four free throws in that span.

He's giving head coach Mark Daigneault a rough time in terms of how to disseminate minutes, as he inconsistently sees 20-plus minutes some nights and sub-10 minutes other nights.

It's part of Daigneault's plan, but Wiggins is giving him a positive problem as the season progresses, performing at a contributive level and providing invaluable effort each time he steps on the floor.

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