INDIANAPOLIS

Comparing Andrew Wiggins to LeBron James, something many have been doing for years, is just as silly — and unfair to Wiggins — now as it has always been.

They are completely different players, with separate skill sets and ceilings. James likely will go down as one of the five best players ever and comparing any teenager, no matter how hyped, to James is — and will always remain — lazy.

Wiggins showed signs on Tuesday in his NBA pre-season debut that the hype has been warranted, even filling up the stat-sheet in a James-like manner with 18 points, three blocks, three assists and varied contributions elsewhere. But that doesn’t mean he’s the next LeBron James.

Wiggins’ new teammate, veteran point guard Mo Williams, knows that as well as anyone, having spent considerable time running shotgun to James in Cleveland.

“First of all, let’s not compare them,” Williams told the Sun, even though it had just been mentioned that the comparisons had always been off-base and Wiggins should be appreciated for what he is, an elite prospect in his own right.

Then, somewhat surprisingly, Williams admitted that there might be a connection between the two No. 1 overall draft picks that has little to do with their basketball skills or freakish athleticism.

“One thing about him that I can say, he absorbs, he’s a sponge, he listens and he wants to get better,” Williams said in the Minnesota locker room.

“He knows he doesn’t have it all, but at the same time, you’ve got a kind of innocence, cockiness to him that he knows he’s really good. You’ve got to have that to be the best, you’ve got to have a sense of arrogance to yourself. But at the same time, there’s kind of a bit of humbleness that gets you over the top and that’s probably the only comparison I can give you to LeBron.”

Williams said Wiggins has a lot of “gifts that you can’t teach” and said that though he, like James, was heavily hyped years before he even got close to making the NBA, he also had an extra challenge that James never faced: The scrutiny of a year in college.

“To have that hype, all through your high school, and for him having to go to college, LeBron didn’t have to go to college. He still had to go there for one year and continue that, play against better players each and every night, more scrutiny, more hype. For that aspect of it, he handled it very well,” Williams said.

Nobody really knows what to expect from this new group of Timberwolves. A team that could have made the playoffs in the brutal West with more luck late in games has lost Kevin Love, but gained greater athleticism, youthful talent and depth. The team has two centres (Nikola Pekovic and Gorgui Dieng) most teams would die for, added Thad Young and still has solid NBAers such as Corey Brewer, Kevin Martin and Ricky Rubio, along with Wiggins, Brampton’s Anthony Bennett and the raw but potentially special Zach LaVine.

“That’s the beauty of it. I’m optimistic,” Williams said of where Minnesota stands.

“It’s kind of a sit and wait right now and let’s see.”

One thing Wiggins will not have to wait for much longer is his first NBA paycheque.

He’s about to be rich beyond his wildest dreams (adding his $5.5 U.S. salary this year to his endorsement deals).

Although playing in the NBA has always been the dream, Wiggins didn’t lie when asked whether he’s also envisioned cashing that first cheque.

And what does he plan to do with it? “Help out my family, help me out,” Wiggins said, unable to hold back a huge grin.

What specifically will he be buying? “A house.”

More than five years after he entered the spotlight, Andrew Wiggins’ dreams are finally becoming a reality.

HESLIP MAKING HIS MARK

Burlington’s Brady Heslip got a training camp invite from the Wolves and while he’s in tough to make the team, Minnesota general manger Milt Newton and Heslip think he can play in the league.

“Brady can flat-out shoot the ball, his teammates like him. He’s a guy that we thought, he earned (his invite) based on his play in the summertime and whether or not he makes the team remains to be seen. But I think he’s a player that will continue to develop and, because he shoots the ball so well, that’s an asset teams are always looking for,” Newton explained.

“Whether this year, next year or the year after that, I think he’ll have a long career in professional sports.”

Heslip called the camp an “amazing experience.” He checked in for a minute on Tuesday, nailing a three late.

“So far I feel very comfortable and I believe I can play in this league,” Heslip said.

“Whether everybody else wrote me off saying I have no chance, I believe I can play in this league and I believe that I’ll make it somehow. Like Milt said, whether it’s now or later, that’s just part of my path.”

ryan.wolstat@sunmedia.ca

@wolstatsun