Andrew Wiggins to the Golden State Warriors? Nobody could have expected that at the beginning of the day.
Yet, honestly, the more that you think about, the better it sounds.
Casting narratives — no matter the amount of truth in them — aside for a moment, there’s the obvious fit for Wiggins at small forward beside point guard Stephen Curry and shooting guard Klay Thompson if you think of him as replacing the departure of Kevin Durant or Andre Iguodala (even Harrison Barnes, for all intents and purposes). D’Angelo Russell, traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster deal that shocked the whole league, was always perceived to be an awkward fit when the Splash Brothers returned from their respective injuries.
A combo guard who would have forced Thompson to slide to small forward, Russell’s relative lack of size at 6-foot-5 was also an interesting dynamic to a team that’s utilized length to their advantage over the last few years. Whether their forward was Durant, Iguodala or Barnes, Golden State’s defensive potential was predicated as much on talent as length.
Wiggins is far from an elite defender but has been as focused on that end this season as any point in his career and standing at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan (while being quite the athlete) doesn’t hurt the team defense.
Offensively, his scoring prowess, including the volume (he’s averaging 22.4 points per game) and comfort scoring from three levels like his immediate predecessor at the starting small forward spot (Durant).
His efficiency, due to what’s at times startling shot-selection, can often leave much to be desired even though he’s shot at least 44.4 percent from the field in three of his six seasons. Yet, the Warriors needn’t worry about that as much when Curry and Thompson return due to the gravity they have beyond the arc and the defensive attention they garner, which should be enough to leave Wiggins with plenty of one-on-one opportunities.
Andrew Wiggins #DubNation pic.twitter.com/sfBf7QUQPm
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 6, 2020
Stop me when you see a downside.
It would be different if the team were looking for Wiggins to be the number one option (or 1B) when fully healthy, as Durant was during his tenure with the Warriors. However, he’ll be the team’s third option (or a 2B).
Though he’s likely to have the ball in his hands as much as Thompson plenty of the time, that’s moreso due to the fact that the sharpshooter doesn’t need to have the ball in his hands long to make a basket. Further, as he’s improved his decision-making from years past and is averaging a career-high 3.7 assists per game this season. Now on a team known to emphasize ball-movement and with a reputable championship-culture, there’s even less concern about Wiggins’ potential role.
It’s well-known that Wiggins has yet to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon him after he was selected with the first overall pick in 2014. He may never live up to those expectations to be the greatest player since LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.
Nonetheless, he’s extremely talented and still has plenty of potential. Where there are questions about him putting forth consistent effort, it’s difficult to imagine him adopting a lackadaisical approach with the league’s latest dynasty team and with teammates like Draymond Green demanding greatness from his brothers-in-arms.
That said, the trade is incredibly interesting because the Warriors acquired a draft pick in the 2021 NBA Draft (top-three protected) and own their own draft pick that may be in the top-three in the 2020 NBA Draft. In other words, Golden State is in a fine position to return to the NBA throne and resume their dynastic ways.
This season has been far from what a Warriors fan wanted to see, but with Thursday’s move for Wiggins, Golden State made a shrewd move that should have the Bay Area very excited for their impending future.