This is not about the adjustment or change. Andrew Wiggins has gone from a small forward to a shooting guard this season, but neither he nor Wolves coach Sam Mitchell say the move has been difficult.
"When he had 24 points against Milwaukee at the two, no one asked me that," Mitchell said, referring to Wiggins' best preseason game.
But Mitchell says — and Wiggins agrees — that the reigning NBA rookie of the year should be doing a bit more.
Through three games Wiggins' numbers have been solid, averaging 14.3 points. But compared with his rookie season, his scoring, rebounding and shooting are down, though he is getting to the free-throw line more. Wiggins is shooting only 30.0 percent through three games and is 0-for-6 on three-point shots. In Monday's loss to Portland, Wiggins made only five of 17 shots while scoring 16 points.
"I'm just not making 'em right now," Wiggins said of his shooting. "I know they'll fall eventually."
The Wolves worked this week to make sure that happens.
"We've got to get him rolling," Mitchell said. "We need him."
Especially the way Mitchell has crafted his rotation. Looking for strong defense and a calming influence to start games, he has put veterans Kevin Garnett and Tayshaun Prince into the starting lineup along with Wiggins, Ricky Rubio and rookie center Karl-Anthony Towns.