Andrew Wiggins has failed to live up to the expectations of a No. 1 pick, but Gersson Rosas didn’t see that in him when he took over as the Timberwolves’ team president this past May. Rosas saw the 6-foot-8 wing as a distressed asset and someone he could help to improve.
“I’m a player-development guy at heart,” Rosas told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “I love these kind of projects.”
Rosas was with the Rockets as James Harden bloomed into the superstar he is today. Harden’s ascension didn’t happen overnight, and the executive knew patience would be key with getting the most out of Wiggins. Stability would be another factor. Minnesota had shuffled through head coaches for much of Wiggins’ time with the club, but with Ryan Saunders came familiarity. Saunders has been with the team in lower coaching roles since Wiggins came into the league, and the two have a strong relationship.
The front office wanted Wiggins to work on his three-point shot this summer, and according to Mannix, he spent more of the offseason in Minnesota than he has in any other year to accomplish that goal. He constantly reminds himself to take the three if it’s available, which is just part of the game plan of taking better shots overall.
The results? Wiggins, who turns 25 in February, is averaging career-highs in a bevy of categories, with points (25.3), assists (3.3), player efficiency rating (20.1) and true shooting percentage (.550) among the stats that reflect his improvement.
Rosas said:
“Anytime you have better play, more efficient play as you grow your usage, that’s something that’s pretty interesting. That’s him doing the work, the system helping him out and everything trending in a very, very positive way. It’s a commitment to competing, working and buying into what’s we’re doing that’s going to work for him. It’s going to work for our team.”
