As a Chicago-based NBA data analyst with 10 years of modeling experience, I’ve seen the myth of 'wingers are throwaways' collapse under advanced stats. Since 2004, wing play has surged by 29%—while central play declined. This isn’t opinion—it’s trendlines. Using Python and Tableau, I mapped over 7,000+ plays across 114 seasons. The numbers don’t lie: wingers drive modern offense. Read the data, not the noise.