Andrew Wiggins was the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NBA draft, but he might already be exhausted before the season even begins.
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Wiggins had to sit out Minnesota's preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, which was expected to pit him against number-two pick Jabari Parker. Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders is saying he wanted to give Wiggins a rest.
"About a week ago at this time, I talked to Wiggins and he was really tired," Saunders said, according to the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. "And I think he is more emotionally tired than mentally. That so-called trade, he had to wait a month. So basically during that month, he didn't do anything.
"Because he really wasn't with Cleveland; he wasn't with us. Then when we got him, in three weeks we started training camp. So it really has been kind of a whirlwind for him. The more you get to know him, he's really a great kid to be around. He seems somewhat quiet, but when you get him behind the scenes, he opens up and talks a lot."
Wiggins entered the NBA draft following his freshman year at Kansas and was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers. But almost immediately after he was drafted, rumors started to swirl that he could be used as trade bait to land an established superstar. The Cavs did just that, sending Wiggins to Minnesota in a three-team deal to land star power forward Kevin Love.
It can't have been easy for the rookie to deal with such a long, arduous process, so it's understandable for him to need some time to adjust. But the Timberwolves will need Wiggins to step up immediately and lead their young team. Minnesota opens the season on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
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