OKC Thunder: Aaron Wiggins Fills Void Left by Kenrich Williams Injury

OKC needs a player to step up off the bench with Kenrich Williams out for the year and Aaron Wiggins fits that mold.

The Thunder needed an answer to both fill the void left by Kenrich Williams and to help stop a five-game losing streak.

The Thunder have players on their bench who could fill in for Williams, who was a key veteran presence on-court. New addition Dario Saric could see his veteran role increase, but on Friday it was Aaron Wiggins.

Wiggins has seen an up-and-down role for most of this season.

Friday night, Wiggins played 27 minutes for the Thunder off the bench. He led the team in scoring with 27, a career-high. Wiggins shot an impressive 12-of-16 from the field and 1-of-2 from 3-point range.

Wiggins is averaging just under seven points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in 19 minutes per game. Wiggins is shooting at a 51.7% clip from the field and 39.6% from beyond the arc this season.

The Thunder were in need of a spark off of the bench with Williams out and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also missing for OKC on Friday.

OKC hasn’t had a spark plug since the All Star Break as the they dropped five straight, four without SGA, and were falling behind in the Western Conference for a play-in spot. But Wiggins led a hot-handed OKC offense to defeat Utah and score 130 total points.

Wiggins has shown flashes of being a contributing force for OKC throughout his stint with the Thunder, but at times has been overshadowed by other bench players. Now with injuries Wiggins has a chance to have more of a role and a chance to showcase his abilities in a larger role and continue to fight for minutes as OKC continues to battle in the Western Conference. 

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