Andrew Wiggins has joined the Golden State Warriors for the 2019-2020 season, filling the void left by the organization immediately following the departure of Kevin Durant. Without Wiggins, the Warriors probably wouldn’t have won the 2022 NBA Finals, and who knows, maybe the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green still wouldn’t be together.
The success Wiggins found in his first two seasons with Golden State set the franchise up for a very bright future. While that future is still available for the Warriors, Wiggins was a shell of what they were used to seeing.
Eight games into the 2023-24 season, Wiggins has struggled to find his shot, his minutes have dropped dramatically and the 28-year-old appears to have lost confidence. For all the success the Warriors have at 6-2, the biggest question mark surrounding Wiggins is whether he can still be the same impressive talent that helped lead the Warriors to the last championship.
While he may not look like a first-time All-Star now, he was about a year ago, the Warriors don’t seem too worried about Wigginsand#039. slow start to the new campaign.
“Wiggs is an important player for us and he’s not at his best, but I’m not worried about Wiggs,” head coach Steve Kerr recently told the San Francisco Chronicle’s C.J. to Holmes. – He helped us win the championship two years ago. He has been here for five years. We know what he can do, and he can do it.”
After the Warriors and#039; In Sunday’s latest loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kerr reiterated his stance on Wiggins, insisting he’s not concerned about his offense and struggles.
Through the first eight games of the season, Wiggins averaged just 10.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 25.3 minutes. All of those numbers are career lows for him since joining Golden State. As much as Warriors fans want to point the finger at Wiggins and say he would be better, there are other things contributing to his struggles.
Warriors and#039; the starting five are in trouble
Warriors and#039; Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins
What and#039; is even more surprising than Andrew Wigginsand#039; there are individual battles throughout the starting unit. You can point to Stephen Curry and say he’s having an MVP-like start to the season, and you can also say Draymond Green is doing everything right. However, the fact is that the Warriorsand#039; The starters, who have been one of the best five-man groups in the entire league over the years, haven’t really been that effective to start 2023-24.
Last season, that starting lineup of Curry, Green, Wiggins, Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney combined for a 128.0 offensive rating and 106.1 defensive rating over 27 games. Their net rating was +21.9, which is well above the league average.
Through five games this year, the same starting rotation has an offensive rating of 112.9 and a defensive rating of 132.1, meaning this group is giving up a combined 132.1 points per 100 possessions. Their net rating this season is currently -19.3, making it the worst group of five the Warriors have put on the court this season for at least 10 total minutes.
Now, statistics don’t necessarily give us the full picture. The Warriors are 6-2 and ranked eighth in team offense, but currently rank 12th overall in team defense. In fact, they have a net rating of +5.8 in the season, which is currently seventh among the 30 NBA teams.
The Warriors are finding success regardless of their starting lineup, which is definitely a positive sign. As those numbers relate to Wiggins and this group, Golden State is still making some adjustments. It has to do with the timing of the trades and how they seem to spark the offense, especially since the Warriors are playing a little differently this season than they did last year.
There is a lot of emphasis on being a high-level defensive team and slowing things down to get the most of every possession. The Warriors, who ranked second in game pace last season, are 21st this year, which directly affects their ability to reduce their overall turnovers.
In the NBA, there is always a system of checks and balances when teams make adjustments. By playing slower, the Warriors were able to sustain their offense longer and reduce turnovers. At the same time, there aren’t as many shot attempts for those not assigned to Curry and Thompson.
The same can be said about the Warriorsand#039; depth this year as well. Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody each stepped into bigger roles with more minutes, Dario Saric has quietly been one of the most effective bench players in the league, Gary Payton II continues to be a threat on defense, and future Hall of Fame guard Chris Paul. completely changes the way Kerr and his staff approach their nightly rotations.
Wigginsand#039; battles and all Warriorsand#039; the starting unit is a bit of a concern, but at the same time you have to understand what Kerr said about things to come. Everyone in this organization is adjusting to new roles and philosophies, so Wiggins is starting to thrive, embracing what his team needs from him.
Andrew Wigginsand#039; new role in the 2023-24 season
Warriors and#039; Andrew Wiggins
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Brett Siegel · 16 hours ago
It doesn’t matter if the entire starting lineup struggles by the numbers, the main reason Andrew Wiggins hasn’t “played well” is because his shots just aren’t falling. Can’t find the open threes he usually hits
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