After connecting on 49.2% on 1.6 attempts from deep, it’s no coincidence Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Aaron Wiggins took on an increased role from head coach Mark Daigneault this season. After Sunday’s win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where Thunder’s Daigneault implemented a small-ball approach, Wiggins was a significant part. He’s continued to gain traction in his newfound role this season.
After averaging 15.7 minutes per game last season, Wiggins has seen an uptick to 22.0 this season while averaging a career-best in points (11.0), rebounds (3.6), assists (1.6), steals (0.8), and blocks (0.3). It’s the kind of production that led to the Thunder staying pat at the trade deadline.
However, for Daigneault, he anticipated Wiggins’ growth during the offseason.
“It kind of was that simple in the offseason. When a guy shoots that well on low attempts, he’s telling you he can handle more, or at least it’s worth exploring,” Daigneault said. “And we’ve done that with a number of guys, you know. Dub (Jalen Williams) wasn’t in a creator role but he was so efficient in the system stuff, they just kind of start banging on the door.”
That is precisely what happened to Aaron Wiggins during the offseason, leading to the most productive campaign of his NBA career.
“With Wiggs, we talked about it in the offseason, wanting that and needing that for the team,” Daigneault added. “And being willing to take a little bit of a step back in terms of the percentage to get more volume and allowing that to net out. It has. It’s unlocked our ability to use him in different ways. And then, we start to put him on the move a little.
“You’ve seen him fly off some off-ball stuff. He also can drive it. He’s really put it all together really nicely. He’s playing great for us right now,” Daigneault concluded.
Wiggins is shooting at a 39.4% clip on 4.0 attempts from behind the arc this season. He leads the Thunder’s bench in scoring and is one of Daigneault’s most efficient three-point shooters in 2024-25.
Mark Daigneault’s process behind Thunder’s small-ball approach
On the first leg of the Thunder’s back-to-back, head coach Mark Daigneault revealed his approach to going small to start the fourth quarter.
“In the moment. It was good [in] the late first [quarter],” Daigneault said. “We went small there, and it was effective, and then they had us in rotation with some of our coverages. And we just had a hard time staying ahead of the ball.”
Thunder will look to bounce back from their 130-123 overtime loss to the Timberwolves on Monday.
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