Andrew Wiggins is poised for a big year with the Miami Heat

The tumultuous end to the Jimmy Butler era still haunts the Miami Heat as we head into the new season, but new additions like Norman Powell and a commitment to hard-nosed players like Davion Mitchell show the Heat are ready to turn over a new leaf and lead a new identity. As we approach training camp, one player who many thought wouldn’t still be wearing Miami’s black and red is still here, and the return of Andrew Wiggins offers a lot of potential. 

Despite a poor showing in the postseason, the former first overall pick has shown a strong commitment to the Heat in the offseason. Despite ongoing trade rumors tied to the Bucks and Lakers, Wiggins has reportedly had a “great summer” with the Heat, according to Heat insider Greg Sylvander of Five Reasons Sports. On “Off the Floor,” Five Reason Sports’ discord community, Greg said:

“Also, sounds like Andrew Wiggins has had a great summer with the Heat, who have been impressed with how much time he has spent around team facilities.”

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For Wiggins, who opted out of media appearances following Miami’s elimination, this eliminates a lot of doubt many had regarding his commitment to the Heat. Wiggins is a resilient player and person and has dealt with a lot in recent years, but there’s never been a question about his talent. That leaves Miami in a very interesting situation, and facing an important question – how should they use Andrew Wiggins? My gut says defensively, but it’s hard to ignore his offensive success from the end of last season. 

With the Heat last season, Wiggins never truly got into form. The generally injury-free guard dealt with many minor injuries in Miami that kept him out of 15 of 27 games. A full offseason and training camp with Miami could seriously unlock the player who had over four 25+ point outings and a 42-point explosion right before the playoffs. 

The key to unlocking Wiggins’ success will be consistency and a clear role. Being able to provide a scoring burst will be key if Miami wants to find success. Wiggins was very effective doing that during February, his best scoring month, where he was able to find success alongside Tyler Herro, while not diminishing his output. Taking Wiggins’ 42-point masterpiece for example, despite Wigs leading with the hot hand, Herro also managed to score 29. While Bam only had 11, it’s important to note that Wiggins won’t have to do a playoff Jimmy Butler impression every game, especially with Norman Powell on the team. There will be an offensive balance, and Wiggins just needs to contribute at the right times. But that leaves things open on the defensive end, and Wiggins might just be the guy to fill some cracks. 

Wiggins will have to pick up the slack with Haywood Highsmith gone. Highsmith was a defensive savant with the Heat, despite playing inconsistent minutes with the team. According to Center’s Culture defensive hustle statistics Wiggins still ranked pretty high in many categories – in steals and blocks per game, Wiggins ranked in the 87th percentile, and he also was solid overall in guarding possessions per game, ranking in the 82nd percentile. With that being said, Wigs’ only ranking in the 69th percentile in guarding opponent field goals is something that needs to change.

Wiggins has found success in those categories in years past, and if he can get to his 2022 form, the Heat may have unlocked a tough lineup with the likes of Wiggins, Ware, and Mitchell. 

Wiggins may have never reached the heights promised by his “Maple Jordan” moniker. He’ll never be Canadian LeBron James, like so many called him early into his career. But he has shown that he can be the second-best player on a team that wins an NBA Championship, and the good news is that the Heat really doesn’t need that right now. They just need a role player who can score and defend at a high level. It’s also well known on the media circuit how nice a guy Wiggins is, and in my own experience, he’s very approachable and will answer questions with thought. With Kevin Love now gone, his veteran presence is needed and could be very beneficial for such a young core.

No matter what you think of Wiggins’ performance in the playoffs, he still shows a lot of promise. Recent news of his commitment to the Heat organization is a welcome sign of things to come for the Canadian despite initial rumors of his happiness in the city. The Heat need a player like Wiggins to be successful, and he can be that guy for this team moving forward. Training camp should be telling.