Juancho Hernangomez (SF/PF, MIN): Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Traded from the Nuggets at the trade deadline, Juancho Hernangomez is so far proving he’s more than a bench piece in Minnesota. The 2016 pick has scored in double digits in all three of the games he has played for the Wolves, notching a double-double in the latest one versus the Hornets.

The power forward is averaging a career-high 30 minutes along with 15 points, six rebounds, and one assist per game with his new team. That is a drastic improvement from his tenure with Denver this season, where he averaged 12 minutes and three points, two rebounds, and 0.6 assists as a seldom-used bench piece. In addition, Hernangomez never averaged more than 19 minutes and 5.8 points per game in his entire three-and-a-half-year stint in the Mile-High City.

With the Timberwolves active at the trade deadline, many new pieces are still getting acclimated and we will likely see Hernangomez’s true role as we approach the end of the season. With leading scorer Karl-Anthony Towns (wrist) out for now, this is the chance for guys to step up and prove themselves. It has been an encouraging start for the 24-year-old in Minnesota, and though his sample size is small, he’s worth picking up with the hope that his role continues to expand.