NBA Rookie Rankings Andrew Wiggins need to stay Minnesota’s first option

Everything you need to know about Andrew Wiggins became evident about a week ago.

The league-worst Minnesota Timberwolves were hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were riding a winning streak. LeBron James, the NBA’s best player, was making his lone visit to the frozen tundra.

And the game marked the return to Minnesota of Kevin Love, who was unable to lift the Timberwolves out of mediocrity before forcing a trade last summer. Love was dealt to Cleveland, and Wiggins – the top overall pick in the draft – was the bright shiny object in the return package to Minnesota.

The fans at the Target Center certainly got their money’s worth. Love was booed every time he touched the ball. The Wolves held a lead entering the fourth quarter before James took over, scoring 16 of his 36 points in the final period to give the Cavs the win. And Wiggins, still just 19 years old, went for a season-high 33 points on 14-of-25 shooting, adding four steals.

“I love a big stage,” Wiggins said afterward. “I love playing in the spotlight.”

For most of the season, Wiggins has had the stage to himself, among both his classmates and his teammates. No other rookie who has played the entire season is averaging double figures. And the Timberwolves have been beset by injuries to their veterans.

That has changed over the last couple of weeks. Center Nikola Pekovic returned on Jan. 21 after missing over two months with an ankle injury. Shooting guard Kevin Martin returned a week later after missing more than two months with a wrist injury. And point guard Ricky Rubio returned this week after missing nearly three months with perhaps the worst sprained ankle in the history of modern medicine.

The prolonged absences of those three veterans occasionally left Wiggins on an offensive island, which probably accelerated his development. When you consider that the Wolves have played most of the season without their best passer, low-post threat and perimeter shooter, Wiggins’ numbers look even more impressive.

His 15.3 points on 13.2 shots give him a points-per-shot of 1.15, which is good but not great. It’s better than Bradley Beal, Reggie Jackson and even Kobe Bryant, but worse than Evan Fournier, Ben McLemore and even teammate Shabazz Muhammad (who, by the way, also is injured).

Now that Pekovic, Martin and Rubio have returned, will their presence make Wiggins more efficient? Or will his growth stagnate due to fewer opportunities?

Pekovic has played nine games since his return and is averaging 13.0 points on 10.0 shots. In that span, Wiggins has seen an increase in his scoring (16.2) and shots (14.8).

Martin has played five games since his return and appears to be making up for lost time, averaging 20.6 points on 18.8 shots. But he has hardly impacted Wiggins, who is at 16.0 points and 14.6 shots over that same stretch.

Rubio returned Monday and has played two games, averaging 9.0 points and 6.0 shots. However, Wiggins has averaged just 10.0 points and 11.0 shots in those two contests.

It is quite possible that Wiggins’ dropoff with Rubio back is merely a small sample size. Rubio is one of the most unselfish and intelligent players in the NBA. He knows his job is to get the ball to teammates where they can be effective and he enjoys doing it.

And there’s no denying that the return of Pekovic, Martin and Rubio make the Timberwolves an appreciably better team. Add them to a mix that includes Muhammad, Thaddeus Young, Gorgui Dieng and Mo Williams, and you have a competitive rotation.

But we’ve seen the ceilings for Pekovic and Martin. This is who they are. They are good players but won’t be making any quantum leaps over the next couple of years. They are the pool and the patio. Wiggins and Rubio are the concrete and the joists.

Hey, Ricky, throw the kid the ball.

On to the rankings.

1. ANDREW WIGGINS, F, MINNESOTA: His 33 points vs. Cleveland gave him the top three scoring games by any rookie this season and also clinched his third straight Western Conference Rookie of the Month award. It was the best month yet for Wiggins, who scored in double figures in every game and averaged 19.8 points on 47 percent shooting. No rookie is even close to him. LAST WEEK: 1

2. ELFRID PAYTON, G, ORLANDO: The East’s Rookie of the Month as he averaged 10.7 points and 6.9 assists while shooting 45 percent from the floor, all monthly season bests. He even pushed his abysmal free-throw shooting up to an acceptable 67.5 percent. Payton also shook off a donut at Oklahoma City with 14 points and nine dimes in a season-high 40 minutes at San Antonio. LAST WEEK: 2

3. K.J. McDANIELS, F, PHILADELPHIA: In two wins, he averaged 11.0 points and made 8-of-12 shots. In two losses, he averaged 5.0 points and made 3-of-19 shots. Despite his inconsistency, he is presenting somewhat of a dilemma for the Sixers because he will be a restricted free agent in the summer. A 22-year-old with his athleticism and upside could get a big offer from another team. LAST WEEK: 3

4. NERLENS NOEL, F-C, PHILADELPHIA: There was some talk this week about whether the Sixers should trade Noel, which is insane given that he has played just 46 NBA games primarily alongside players as young and inexperienced as himself. For the week, the 20-year-old averaged 9.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.3 blocks and 1.8 steals in 30 minutes. Does that sound like someone you would trade? LAST WEEK: 6

5. MARCUS SMART, G, BOSTON: He was made a starter to combat some of the team’s recent slow starts and provided an early spark in Tuesday’s win over New York. Smart is playing huge minutes (33.8 this week) and always provides something, whether it’s nine assists vs. Miami or 10 rebounds and eight assists against Denver. However, his shot selection has to get much better. LAST WEEK: 7

6. NIKOLA MIROTIC, F, CHICAGO: He has fallen off the map in the last three weeks. Since consecutive double-figure games on Jan. 12 and 14, Mirotic has scored in double figures just once in 10 games, averaging 4.3 points on 12-of-41 shooting while his minutes have dropped. He is no longer covering for the absence of Mike Dunleavy, and you have to wonder if he will get off the bench in the playoffs. LAST WEEK: 4

7. JERAMI GRANT, F, PHILADELPHIA: His game is developing before our eyes. Grant shot 28 percent overall and 21 percent from the arc in December but boosted those numbers to 46 percent overall and 47 percent from deep in January. In Monday’s loss to Cleveland, he had season highs of 18 points and seven boards. And he already has six games of at least six free throws. LAST WEEK: 10

8. JUSUF NURKIC, C, DENVER: The scoring comes and goes; he has cracked double figures just three times in the last 13 games. But Nurkic continues to work at the defensive end despite limited minutes. In 55 minutes over three games this week, he totaled 17 rebounds and eight blocks. Still the only option at center as JaVale McGee has an illness. LAST WEEK: 8

9. LANGSTON GALLOWAY, G, NEW YORK: Is Lansanity over before it got started? After his emergence last week, Galloway shot just 8-of-29 from the field in three games, including 2-of-12 from the arc. He scored 13 points in a win over the Lakers and still averaged 7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists, which isn’t bad when you consider that his career started less than a month ago. LAST WEEK: 5

10. BOJAN BOGDANOVIC, G-F, BROOKLYN: His week was a dice player’s dream – three straight 11’s, including some clutch shooting in wins over the LA Clippers and Toronto. For the week, Bogdanovic was 10-of-22 overall and 7-of-16 from the arc, adding 13 rebounds. That is the sort of bench spark the Nets will need from BoBo if they are serious about sneaking into the playoffs. LAST WEEK: NR