It hasn't exactly been an ideal season for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
After ending a 13-year playoff drought last year, the team is 32-39 and on the brink of being eliminated from playoff contention.
NBA.com recently caught up with Wolves forward Andrew Wiggins (Toronto, ON), who shared his take on the season and his mindset as it winds down: “[It wasn't] the best year, but [I'm] pulling through it, trying to finish off aggressively."
The 2015 Rookie of the Year continued, adding "that’s the main thing. Just trying to finish off aggressively leading into next year.”
History shows that his aggression pays dividends.
On Jan. 8, Wiggins finished with a season-high 40 points to go along with 10 rebounds to lead Minnesota to a two-point win over OKC – the first career win for interim head coach Ryan Saunders.
Wiggins, who is on record sharing that he has a positive relationship with Coach Saunders, beamed as he lauded him for “just being there for me, really." He added, "through the ups and the downs, [Saunders has] been supportive, [he's] one of my biggest supporters and he’s always looking for the best.”
While his status as the Wolves' head coach beyond this season remains uncertain, the aforementioned support is a characteristic of an ideal player-coach relationship.
When asked if there was anything specific he's focused on, Wiggins reiterated that his aggression is something that will have an impact across the board.
“[My] main thing is just staying aggressive, just trying to finish off the season strong – that’s the main focus.”