The vibes are high for the Miami Heat right now after knocking off New York 115-107 to move to 2-1 on the season. The Heat benefited from Norman Powell scoring 29 points as Miami pulled away in the second half and put the NBA on notice in the process.
But somehow, despite the fact that Miami is 2-1 with two comfortable wins under their belt and a close loss to Orlando, the plus/minus for Andrew Wiggins is so shockingly bad it almost defies logic.
Andrew Wiggins was a massive negative
Last night, Wiggins was -9 on the night for plus/minus despite the eight-point win for the Heat. This followed up being at zero on the dot during Miami's blowout win over Memphis and an astounding -21 against Orlando during a four-point loss.
Add it all together, and three games in Wiggins is averaging -10 on a team that is +12 on average.
Last night, Wiggins only had nine points, and while he did have a key three-pointer with under two minutes to go, he never felt like a threat offensively. Add in three turnovers with just two assists, and Miami was just treading water with Wiggins in the game.
It wasn't until he subbed off for Nikola Jovic in the 3rd quarter that Miami made its huge run to give itself the space needed for the win.
Likewise, on Friday night, Wiggins subbed off for Jovic in the 1st quarter with a six-point lead, and it was then that Miami just went off and exploded the lead to over 30 by the time he came back on.
In the opener, Wiggins picked up two quick fouls in the 1st quarter and had to be subbed off. The Heat built a nine-point lead with Wiggins off, which turned into a five-point deficit by the time he subbed again in the 2nd quarter. So even though he finished with 18 points against Orlando, he wound up with a -21 on the night.
History as a guide
Wiggins hasn't finished on the positive side of plus/minus since 2023, and he has finished negative seven of his eleven seasons in the NBA.
His rebounding has actually been decent to start the year, but it is his lack of rim protection that seems to be ailing him the most. Opposing shooters are currently making 69% of shots inside six feet against Wiggins.
It's early, but that would wind up being tied for the worst percentage against him he has ever had in his career.
We'll see if things improve for Wiggins, as he has been a key cog that Miami didn't seem to want to part with this offseason.