Aaron Wiggins has begun the 2026 NBA preseason with red-hot touch and confidence from range.
Shooting a blistering 46.2% from range over Atlanta's first three contests this October, Wiggins has already begun to exhibit the perfect yin-yang to the Hawks' starting pair of slashers, Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson.
With Johnson's often less-than-ideal shooting from range and Daniels' perennial struggles in the same area, Wiggins' shooting becomes more imperative than ever before in his career.
Wiggins could fill the Luke Kennard role for the Hawks
Last season, Kennard was one of the first off the bench for Coach Snyder time and time again.
Despite Cool Hand Luke's lack of defense (which Wiggins notably offers a significant upgrade in said category), Quin still felt compelled to complement his starters with Luke game in and game out.
Why? The answer was simple - Kennard's shooting was the perfect answer to defenses all too eager to help onto the slashing talents of Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson - two players not particularly known for their long-range threats.
After Kennard's departure at the trade deadline, Jonathan Kuminga stepped in as the go-to 6th man, but never demonstrated a consistent touch from the arc.
This year, Wiggins seems poised to fill the scorching shoes of Luke Kennard as one of the first Hawks off the bench on a game-to-game basis.
Dyson and Jalen's lack of shooting necessitates Wiggins to stay aggressive from range
Without a consistent jumpshot, Jalen Johnson has leaned on his interior scoring to drop 20+ points on most evenings. Sure, it's successful, but it's a formula that requires other ingredients - specifically, lethal off-ball threats.
This problematic recipe is even more convoluted when paired with an even less threatening shooter in Dyson Daniels. When Snyder trots out the pair together, the other three players simply must have the ability to extend the defense to the arc.
Wiggins seems to be the perfect fit through three preseason outings - averaging just over 8.5 3PA/36 minutes, not only is the volume already present, but the efficiency is, too - 46.2% would be a stellar mark for any player in the league extended over 82 games.
Granted, it's only the preseason, but if Wiggins can continue the elite long-range trend he's exhibited in early October throughout the rest of the year, it'll be a tall task for Quin Snyder to attempt to replace his spot in the rotation.
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