Aaron Wiggins Displays Versatility for Thunder in Preseason

The versatile big-guard has displayed his versatility in the preseason, especially against in OKC's victory over Atlanta.

Oct 7, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) shoots over San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The OKC Thunder fell back on its depth pieces in a win over the Atlanta Hawks, one of which had a balanced performance. Former Maryland guard Aaron Wiggins, a name that's been heavily discussed in OKC's preseason, played solidly.

Wiggins finished OKC's 104-99 victory over Atlanta with only three points on 1-for-5 shooting but impacted the stat sheet elsewhere. He also ended with six rebounds, all defensive, as well as four assists. He grabbed two steals on the defensive side of the ball and only turned it over once.

By no means was this Wiggins' best scoring performance. He finished with 13 points against the Houston Rockets in its preseason game and 10 against the Denver Nuggets in the game prior. The number of points he's scoring a game, however, has not been what's made him stand out.

Wiggins has shown, so far, that he's a willing rebounder, defender and passer. He averaged just around four rebounds per game, the most coming against the Hawks. He stands at 6-foot-6 and for a guard, has excellent size and strength. That makes rebounding a little easier, especially against smaller guards.

The big guard's been able to force plenty of turnovers so far this preseason, but it's evident that he's also a good on-ball defender. His ability to slide his feet and move with guards is impressive and does not make him a liability when his shot is not falling. He recorded two steals in three of his four preseason performances, showing that ability to guard and force turnovers.

He also displayed his ability to move the ball and create for others. He achieved 2.5 assists per game in the preseason, also recording his best mark against the Hawks. The majority of those preseason assists came from swinging the ball around the three-point line, a valuable asset in an NBA offense. Wiggins isn't the type of guard to dribble-drive and kick out on said drive, but he can still rack up assists on the perimeter.

Last year for OKC, he averaged 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists. Playing around 20 minutes a game in four preseason games, he showed that he can do everything for the Thunder. He's going to come off the bench for OKC on a normal basis, but in those minutes, if he continues to impact the game in multiple ways, his role will say solid. Seeing his minutes increase would not be a surprise by any means.

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