The Golden State Warriors' faithful are counting the days to the much-awaited return of Klay Thompson. Even Dubs head coach Steve Kerr is already dreaming of that day, and at this point, Kerr already has a defensive pairing in mind for Klay next season–Andrew Wiggins.
Wiggins is not exactly the first name that comes to mind when you talk about defense, but according to Coach Kerr himself, this facet of the 26-year-old's game has evolved so significantly that the Warriors now see him as a key asset on the defensive end:
“It’s so valuable to have someone who you can count on every single night to play big minutes and to guard one of the opposing team’s best players,” Kerr said, via Wes Goldberg of the East Bay Times. “Klay has been that guy for many years and now Andrew is the same thing. So what I love to think about is next year, having both guys in that role.”
It's no secret that Wiggins wasn't the best defender in the NBA not too long ago. As a matter of fact, he was heavily criticized for being a liability on the defensive end. However, the fact that he has emerged as one of the Warriors' top stoppers this season speaks volume on how much work he has put in.
For his part, Thompson is without a doubt one of the best shooters of all time. This fact makes it easy to overlook just how outstanding he is as a defender. Paired with a new and improved Andrew Wiggins, the Dubs could easily come out as one of the top defensive teams next term. Let's not forget that Draymond Green is also a former Defensive Player of the Year winner.
Time to get excited, Dub Nation.
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