Grizzlies' Fizdale likens Wolves' Wiggins to Kobe
As he prepared for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale anticipated having his hands full with Andrew Wiggins.
"He's really turning into a Kobe Bryant-type player," Fizdale said of the Wolves' third-year shooting guard, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
Wiggins obviously has a long, long way to go to achieve Bryant-level status - particularly as a playmaker - but he already possesses plenty of the tools that made Bryant a transcendent, generational star: the footwork, the athleticism, the ability to make difficult shots and to score in a variety of ways.
At just 21, Wiggins is averaging 27.4 points per game, good for eighth in the Association. He's shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 53.5 percent from 3-point range, posting a 23.1 PER, and helping the Wolves to the league's second-best offensive rating.
Fizdale, who spent years as an assistant coach for a Miami Heat team that employed Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, knows what greatness looks like. Wiggins may be a work in progress, but he's well on his way.