Wolves’ Andrew Wiggins posterizes Pelicans’ Omer Asik
There weren’t many knocks on Andrew Wiggins’ profile as an NBA prospect during his lone collegiate year at Kansas, but one of the few critiques that seemed to gain traction focused on whether or not the reedy swingman was aggressive and assertive enough to be able to use his estimable physical talents to take control of games against the best competition at the highest level. Some unfortunate folks even wondered whether he was too Canadian to dominate. (Seriously.)
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Well, judging by the way Wiggins has developed over the course of his first NBA season after being selected first overall in the 2014 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers and traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, “aggressiveness and assertiveness” no longer seem to be a problem. Just ask New Orleans Pelicans center Omer Asik, one of the league’s pre-eminent rim protectors and shot-deterrents, whether he thinks the young Wolf doesn’t have enough dog in him:
Wiggins, all 6-foot-8 and 200 pounds of him, collides in mid-air with Asik, who’s listed at 7 feet tall and 255 pounds. He bounces off the massive Turk, continues to rise up, cocks the ball back with his right hand and absolutely hammers it down through the rim. Asik can do nothing but look up and wonder what fresh hell just came raining down on top of his head.
The answer? A thunderbolt from the right arm of the likely Rookie of the Year, which is the kind of thing that’s happening more frequently as the still-just-20-year-old Wiggins gets more and more reps under his belt. From “The Stifle Tower” to Asik to a shot-blocker near you, Wiggins seems intent on taking advantage of his height, length, springs, body control and developing strength to make sure that no more opponents, fans or pundits make the mistake of letting the smooth taste ever again.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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