While scouts may not be sold on Kansas' Andrew Wiggins, Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant believes the freshman has the potential to become an NBA Hall of Famer.
Wiggins came alive in the second half on Tuesday to help Kansas comeback with a 94-83 win over Duke. Wiggins' 22 points and eight rebounds were enough to make a believer out of Durant.
"He's raw, but his ceiling is high. He can be like a Hall of Famer, All-Star, for sure. He's good," Durant said on Thursday, via Yahoo! Sports. "... Wiggins is on another level with God-given ability. You look at him, you can tell he's going to be really big and fill out a lot. He's really athletic."
Durant's assessment differed from that of several NBA scouts, who questioned whether Wiggins was deserving of going No. 1 in the 2014 NBA draft.
"Until Wiggins learns how to play hard," one NBA scout told Yahoo! Sports earlier in the week, "he's Kansas' third-best freshman."
One scout said it's too early to tell if Wiggins is the next big thing, while another scout voiced concerns about Wiggins' drive and work ethic.
"(Wiggins) is not always playing hard and motivated," the scout said. "That scares people. That scares me a little. You need a gym rat, someone that absolutely loves it. It's 82 games. It's tough. Those guys are harder to win with than guys who love it."
Although Wiggins has athleticism and star potential, one NBA general manager cautioned comparing Wiggins to being the next LeBron James.
"I believe most will be swayed by the hype, even if it's close and a couple other guys look great," the general manager said. "But there is not a clear difference as there was with LeBron [in 2003] to the rest of the field."
After a mediocre preseason, Wiggins is averaging 19 points and 5.5 rebounds through his first two collegiate games.
Kansas plays Iona on Tuesday.
