The Golden State Warriors are surprisingly playing elite defense this season, and Andrew Wiggins is certainly doing his best to serve as an asset on the defensive end for his team. His impact and ability to limit the Warriors' opponents is somewhat reminding head coach Steve Kerr of Andre Iguodala, who served as a main defensive ace of the team from 2014 to 2019.
Via Marcus White of NBC Sports Bay Area:
“The similarities lie in their athleticism and their length,” Kerr said Tuesday in a video conference with reporters. “They're different players. They're very different.”
“Andre was more of a jack of all trades defensively,” Kerr explained. “He guarded everybody, on or off the ball. He just had a knack, much like [Draymond Green], for blowing up possessions by understanding what was coming when he was on the weak side of the floor.”
Although there is a resemblance between the two players, they are being utilized in two different ways. Wiggins has been more of an on-ball stopper for the Warriors this season, while Iguodala was relied on for his versatility and ability to do just about anything on that end.
Looking back, Iguodala often rotated from guarding shifty point guards to even defending the post on several occasions when running the Warriors' small-ball schemes. Wiggins has the potential to do the same, but he still has to put more work in the weight room in order to hold his ground against the stronger players in the league.
The half-decade Iguodala spent with Kerr was definitely fruitful, resulting in three Warriors championship runs back in 2015, 2017, and 2018. Armed with a new roster and younger players, Steve Kerr is hoping he can achieve the same level of success he attained with Andre Iguodala, this time with Andrew Wiggins helping out Stephen Curry.
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