Three games into the new season, the Atlanta Hawks hold a 2-1 record. Not bad.
It hasn't been the easiest schedule to begin the year, by any means. Their first test was against a physical Orlando Magic team on the road, only to be met by the new-look Hornets on the road a couple of days later.
Their third battle of the season - against the Houston Rockets, finally at home - didn't go according to plan. Still, many positives can be taken away from the loss, including the eye-opening play of Aaron Wiggins. He's made about as strong of a first impression as possible.
Wiggins nearly led Atlanta back from a large deficit in their home defeat
It's true that Houston controlled much of the game.
Despite their clear upper-hand, Atlanta gave themselves a shot to potentially win it at the end. They wouldn't have even been in a remotely-similar situation if it wasn't for the second-unit dominance of their newcomer.
He dropped 16 points off the bench, knocking down four threes, most of which were very timely.
His high-arcing shot has proved crucial for much of Atlanta's early-season success, as he's now shooting over 52% from beyond the arc. While that specific number may not be exactly sustainable, his efforts shouldn't be ignored.
Through three games, he's averaging an incredibly-efficient 17 points per game in just 27 minutes a night. Although it's early, he's looking to make some real noise in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year - maybe even Most Improved Player.
It's crazy to consider that Wiggins - while known as a positive pickup - wasn't even viewed as Atlanta's best acquisition from OKC this summer. Trading for Lu Dort got all the attention, and through three games, Wiggins has had a higher impact than his long-time teammate.
Hawks need Wiggins to continue his impressive production
While the exact numbers he's putting up right now may not be entirely sustainable, there's a possible reality where he remains close.
Production-wise, he's easily been Atlanta's most impactful second-unit weapon.
In Atlanta's opening night road victory over the Orlando Magic, Wiggins was on the court for the final 17 minutes of play. Coach Snyder already has incredible trust in his new two-way weapon.
Once others among that group begin to impact the game more clearly, and Wiggins' scoring takes a bit of a hit, it will be up to him to maintain a similar impact.
His career track record alludes to that not being a problem.
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