Andrew Wiggins is evolving with the Warriors.
When Golden State acquired the wing last season from the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team knew it might take some time to see Wiggins adjust playing alongside Steph Curry.
Wiggins showed major improvements this season, especially shooting the ball, while also proving he’s much more than just a scorer. Warriors coach Ron Adams recently spoke to The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami about how Wiggins has impressed him since joining the Warriors.
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“I was a big advocate for getting him here,” Adams told Kawakami. “But the big revelation, maybe I wouldn’t even call it that, but the thing that I took note of most was the shortened season he played for us. He didn’t really shoot the ball that well. But what he did do is he showed a really, really solid floor game in terms of passing and driving and kicking. Driving the ball in particular. And then he showed some really good defensive instincts. He had some really solid defensive games. He was extremely tough to score against on the ball.”
Wiggins had a career-high 3.7 assists last season, including 3.6 per game in his 12 contests with the Warriors. While that number has cooled to 2.4 assists per game this season, Wiggins has remained a solid perimeter defender for the Warriors and often takes the toughest assignment.
Adams said he’s convinced Wiggins, 26, is just beginning his growth with the Warriors.
“I get pretty excited seeing this,” Adams said. “And he’s simply built on those kinds of skills that he had. And although he’s played a lot of seasons already … he’s still a very young player. His best basketball is way before him, which is exciting and should be exciting for this franchise.”
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Wiggins averaged 18.6 points and 4.9 rebounds this season while setting a career-high in field goal percentage (47.7) and three-point field goal percentage (38). He has proved to be a versatile, valuable and reliable sidekick in his first full season with the Warriors, who are jelling at the right time before Wednesday’s play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Wiggins will need to be at the top of his defensive game and show the instincts Adams highlighted against the Lakers, as he will likely be tasked with guarding LeBron James for much of the night.