Aaron Wiggins is Taking Advantage of Increased Role

The Thunder’s secret weapon has been providing production as his minutes increase.

Jan 3, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) celebrates after scoring against the New York Knicks during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

It started as a funny joke that stretched across NBA Twitter and far beyond, but last night for the Thunder, it became true. Aaron Wiggins saved basketball. Or at least he saved Oklahoma City’s winning streak and found a way to win the game in front of a rowdy home crowd.

Wiggins signed a 5-year, $47-million contract to stay with the Thunder this offseason, and every time he has a game like the one he had on Friday night, it looks like a steal. In 24 minutes, he added 19 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. He shot 7-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the 3-point line. Most of his work came in the fourth quarter when the Thunder needed it most. In the last frame alone, he had 15 points on 5-of-5 shooting and 4-of-4 from 3-point range. 

It was one of the most impressive bench performances in recent memory for the Thunder, and ultimately, it lifted OKC above the Knicks. The bench unit, led by Wiggins, was the difference in the game. Oklahoma City’s bench outscored New York’s 44-5 throughout the game.

Over the last few weeks, it has been obvious that Wiggins excels with more minutes. Once he finds his groove within the game, he’s a terrific offensive player for the Thunder. When his minutes are up, his production tends to be up too.

Wiggins has exceeded 20 minutes in four of the last five contests. He’s averaging 15.2 points in that stretch. Over the last 10 games, he has played less than 20 minutes in half of those games. Across the five matchups where Wiggins doesn’t reach 20 minutes, he’s averaging just 3.8 points.

It’s clear when Wiggins is playing serious minutes off the bench, he has a clear impact for this team. Oklahoma City needs his offense in a bad way some nights. He needs to find consistency moving forward and give his best effort on defense every single night. He has a crucial role to play on this Thunder team, and it feels like he’s starting to discover it.

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