Andrew Wiggins of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves will play for Canada at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China, according to Sportsnet’s Arash Madani.
"Rowan Barrett, the GM of Canada's national men's basketball team, tells me Andrew Wiggins has committed to play for Team Canada this summer at the World Cup in China. Huge boost to help the chances at qualifying for next summer's Tokyo Olympics," Madani posted on Twitter.
Canada are in Group H with Australia, Lithuania and Senegal, the most challenging of the tournament. The team's record at the World Cup will also decide whether they can secure a direct spot at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. It goes without saying that Canada will need all the talents they can get.
As the No.1 overall select of the 2014 NBA Draft, Wiggins has no shortage in talent. His remarkable combination of size and athleticism is perfectly built for playing basketball and that's why he was once expected to become the next LeBron James.
Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves handles the ball in on the baskteball court. /VCG Photo
However, instead of cashing in his blessed strength, leaping ability, and speed on the court, Wiggins plays like a veteran at his 40s while only being 24 years old. He does not like working in the paint or assaulting the rim but keeps shooting either from the 3-point line or one step into the 3-point line. Wiggins' career 3-point rate and field goal rate are only 33.2 percent and 44.0 percent. As for his defense, he has been Minnesota's liability on this side of the court since he joined the team and is not doing any better.
What worries the team more than Wiggins' performance on the court is his attitude. He does not seem to care whether the Timberwolves win or not; he shows no interest in his own numbers, otherwise there’s no way to explain why a 2.03m guy with 2.13m wingspan and 1.12m vertical jump, without any injury, have never reached five in rebounding on average in any season.
Though Minnesota gave Wiggins a five-year, 148-million-U.S.-dollar contract in 2017 and had been waiting for him to grow, the team's patience is running out. According to Trey Rodriguez of Hoops Inq., Minnesota are "aggressively shopping" Wiggins. The 2019 Basketball World Cup can be a good opportunity for him as FIBA rules require players to work more as a team – everyone has to take their own responsibility. Wiggins is only 24 years old and, the sooner he learns how to shoulder his responsibility, the better chances he has to be the player he should become.