Andrew Wiggins came to the Golden State Warriors in a midseason trade during the 2019-20 season, instantly filling a hole this organization had on the wing since Kevin Durant left. Without Wiggins, the Warriors probably wouldn't have gone on to win the 2022 NBA Finals and who knows, maybe the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green wouldn't still be together.
The success Wiggins found over his first couple of seasons with Golden State set this franchise up for a very bright future. While this future is still obtainable for the Warriors, Wiggins has been a shell of what they are accustomed to seeing.
Through eight games to begin the 2023-24 season, Wiggins has struggled to find his shot, his minutes have declined drastically, and it appears as if the 28-year-old has lost confidence in himself. With all the success the Warriors are finding at 6-2, the biggest question mark surrounds Wiggins and whether or not he can still be the same impactful talent that helped the Warriors capture their most recent title.
Although he may not be looking like the first-time All-Star he was just a year or so ago right now, the Warriors do not seem to be too concerned over Wiggins' 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 told C.J. Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle recently. “He helped us win a championship two years ago. He’s been here for five years. We know what he can do, and he’ll get through.”
Following the Warriors' most recent loss on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kerr echoed his stance on Wiggins, claiming that he is not worried about his forward and his struggles whatsoever.
Through the first eight games of the season, Wiggins is averaging just 10.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in about 25.3 minutes per game. All of these numbers are career lows for him since joining Golden State. As much as Warriors fans want to point the finger at Wiggins and tell him to be better, other things factor into his struggles.
Warriors' starting five is struggling
What's even more surprising than Andrew Wiggins' individual struggles is that of the entire starting unit. You can point to Stephen Curry and say he is having an MVP-like start to the season, and one can also say that Draymond Green is doing everything right. However, the fact of the matter is that the Warriors' starters, who have been one of the best five-man groups in the entire league over the years, have not really been that effective to start the 2023-24 season.
Last season, this starting rotation of Curry, Green, Wiggins, Klay Thompson, and Kevon Looney posted an offensive rating of 128.0 and a defensive rating of 106.1 in 27 total games together. Their net rating was +21.9, which is well above the league average.
In five games together this year, the same starting rotation has an offensive rating of 112.9 and a defensive rating of 132.1, meaning that this group is surrendering a total of 132.1 points per 100 possessions. Their net rating this season is currently -19.3, which means this is the worst five-man group the Warriors have put out on the court together this season, minimum 10 total minutes.
Now, statistics do not necessarily paint the full picture for us. The Warriors are 6-2 and rank not only eighth in total team offensive rating but currently reside 12th in the league in total team defensive rating. In fact, their total net rating is +5.8 for the season, currently seventh out of the 30 teams in the NBA.
The Warriors are finding success regardless of how their starting group is playing, which is definitely a positive sign. As these numbers relate to Wiggins and this group, Golden State is still working through some changes. This relates to when substitutions are made and how they look to get the offense going, especially since the way the Warriors are playing this season is slightly different than last year.
A lot of emphasis has been put on being a high-level defensive team and slowing things down in order to get the most out of every possession. After ranking second in pace of play last season, the Warriors rank 21st in pace this year, directly impacting on them being able to cut down on total turnovers.
There's always going to be a checks-and-balances system when it comes to teams making adjustments in the NBA. By playing slower, the Warriors have been able to sustain offensive possessions longer and cut down on their turnovers. At the same time, there are not as many shot attempts going up for those not named Curry and Thompson.
The same can be said regarding the Warriors' depth this year as well. Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have each stepped up into bigger roles with more minutes, Dario Saric has quietly been one of the most effective bench players in the league, Gary Payton II is still a menace on the defensive side of things, and future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul completely changes the way Kerr and his staff approach their nightly rotations.
Wiggins' struggles and that of the entire Warriors' starting unit is somewhat concerning, but at the same time, there needs to be an understanding of what Kerr has said in terms of things coming around. Everyone within this organization is adjusting to new roles and philosophies, which is why embracing what his team needs from him is how Wiggins will begin to improve.
Andrew Wiggins' new role for 2023-24 season
No matter if the entire starting group is struggling based on the numbers, the main reason Andrew Wiggins hasn't been “playing well” is because his shots just aren't falling. Open threes that he normally hits are not finding nylon right now, and a vast majority of his attempts have come in catch-and-shoot scenarios. Looking deep into Wiggins' numbers, 37 of his 82 total shot attempts have been with zero dribbles, according to NBA advanced statistics.
To take things one step further, Wiggins is shooting 50 percent from the floor when his defender is within zero to four feet of him. When his defender is four-plus feet away, which are classified as open and wide-open shots, Wiggins is shooting just 28.1 percent from the floor.
During the 2021-22 season, the season the Warriors won their most recent title and Wiggins was named an All-Star, he was super aggressive in terms of getting to his spots on the court. Not to mention, the former top overall pick hit plenty of clutch shots that season with defenders draped all over him.
So far this year, Wiggins' role has changed, as he tends to spend a lot more time in the corner being a catch-and-shoot option rather than looking for opportunities to attack the opposition from the top of the 3-point line.
The overall decrease in minutes for Wiggins has also impacted his production. With Kuminga, Saric, and Payton all playing close to 20 minutes per game, as well as Paul seeing close to 30 minutes per game off the bench,
Wiggins has been flipped around in many different rotations. The Warriors have also looked to match up with teams based on personnel, which has resulted in Wiggins not necessarily being in the game down the stretch.
At the end of the day, all the Warriors need to do is just find ways to get their forward going early. One or two made shots in the first quarter and letting Wiggins play with the bench unit led by Paul will allow him to regain any lost confidence to begin the season.
The good news is that the year is still very young, and 74 games remain on Golden State's schedule. Still an impactful defender on the wing and a capable 3-point shooter, Wiggins will be able to turn things around with one breakout game.
Follow Us
Subscribe