All of a sudden, Andrew Wiggins finds himself in a role that helped the Golden State Warriors win an NBA Championship a few years ago. The Miami Heat are hoping to have a very similar outcome this season as Wiggins prepares to be a strong third option next to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
And if he can have a similar type of impact that he had in Golden State back in 2022, there's reason to believe that Wiggins can emerge as one of the most underrated third or fourth options in the league. Objectively speaking, there may not be many better third options in the Eastern Conference.
Even though Wiggins is no longer in the prime of his career, he's still a strong two-way player. In fact, Wiggins is coming off an extremely efficient season a year ago in which he averaged 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists on 47 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Andrew Wiggins is one of the best third options in the NBA
While he may not be the defensive stopper he was earlier in his career, he's still a capable difference-maker on that end of the floor. And it might just get a lot easier now that Giannis is joining the Heat.
There are many questions about the Heat's offense, but the defense should be great. And Wiggins will play a big part in that, especially on the perimeter and the wing. If Wiggins can be as efficient as he was on offense last season, the Heat should be in a good spot.
But again, that's one of the bigger question marks. Can Wiggins be that consistent third option for the Heat, the way he excelled with the Warriors a few years ago (behind Steph Curry and Klay Thompson)?
During that NBA Finals run with the Warriors, Wiggins was one of the most consistent players not named Steph in the playoffs. Averaging 17 points and eight rebounds on 47 percent shooting from the field, the Warriors don't win the championship without Wiggins.
After an odd year and a half with the Heat, Wiggins now finds himself in a similar position as he was with Golden State. With the addition of Giannis and the continued rise of Bam, Wiggins doesn't need to be a go-to player on either end of the floor.
That should open him up and offer him the freedom he needs to truly thrive in this adjusted role with the Heat.
Will it lead to a championship? Who knows. But there's no question that Wiggins may be back in a much more comfortable role that suits him best. And that should have Heat fans excited about the possibilities this season for both Wiggins and the team altogether.
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