The Golden State Warriors have big plans for the 2021-22 season. The Bay Area's team will have old and new faces rocking the blue and gold this year. One familiar face that everyone is excited to see back with the team is Andre Iguodala. In the past, he was the x-factor and played an essential part in winning championships. This year he isn't that person, although he will still play a substantial role in helping the team be successful.
This year the key to being a good team or great team lies in the hands of Andrew Wiggins. The 2014-15 NBA Rookie of the Year Award winner had an exceptional year last season with the Warriors. He averaged 18.6 points per game, shooting a career-high 47% from the field and 38% from deep.
With Klay Thompson getting closer and closer to being cleared to return, the All-Star is expected to be in the starting lineup for the Warriors. Some might think he will jump into his regular role of being the second scoring option on the team. That might be true when the playoffs come around, but if Wiggins can stay around the averages of last season and remain the second option, it could equal great a great run for the Dubs.
Last season the Warriors had the number one scoring duo in the NBA with Stephen Curry and Wiggins as running mates. They scored 3,335 points last year, and Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal were second with 3,323 total points.
Wiggins did a decent job of emulating Thompson in Klay's absence from the Warriors. He is not as good of a shooter as the Splash Brothers, but he held his own. Defensively he took significant strides last season and might have had an equal or maybe better defensive year than Thompson has had.
Adding Thompson back to the lineup should give the Warriors extra defenders to use against a guard-heavy league. Klay and Wiggins will be able to take turns slowing down the other team's best player, which could be huge.
The most exciting thing about this year is finally seeing the vision management sees when putting this Warriors group together. A roster filled with talent and veteran leadership appears to be the perfect combination for a championship run. If health can be on their side, we can see if that theory is true.
It's the most critical season of Wiggins' career. Never has any team needed him as much as the Warriors do. He is the Dubs' X-factor, and tons of pressure comes with that. When you perform well, you are praised and recognized as the key to success, but if you don't rise to the occasion or meet expectations, you can get some of the most brutal criticism ever.
Sometimes it's fair, but often it's not, so Wiggins is in a good but very stressful position with the Warriors, one that Wiggins and his calm demeanor seem to be built to handle.
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