Goals for the Golden State Warriors: 2. Elevating Andrew Wiggins’ offensive game
An underrated element to the Warriors’ success last regular season was the improved efficiency of Andrew Wiggins. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2014 NBA Draft hasn’t exactly panned out as many had hoped, but nonetheless, he’s still developed into a star who’s a productive scorer and athletic defender.
One of the areas Wiggins has struggled with throughout his career is his shooting efficiency. He doesn’t possess the same ferociousness he did as a youth attacking the rim, he isn’t a particularly gifted jump shooter, and he doesn’t have a strong enough perimeter shot. There are nights when he gets rolling to be fair, yet there are also nights when he can’t sink a basket.
Wiggins is essentially the player acquired through Kevin Durant; the latter was moved in a sign-and-trade for D’Angelo Russell in July 2019, who was subsequently traded for Wiggins at the next year’s trade deadline. There was a motivation by the Warriors to diversify their talent pool, sending away a guard for a wing who still provided scoring ability.
He showed promise during his handful of games with the team in early 2020 and made a terrific jump in efficiency once aligned with Curry and Draymond (44.7% FG and 33.2% 3PT in 2019-20 to 47.7% FG and 38.0% 3PT in 2020-21). However, Wiggins hasn’t really increased his production despite having elite playmakers to play off of.
With Andrew Wiggins now being paid over $30 million in salary, reaching the last two years of his maximum contract extension, the Warriors will need to help him elevate his offensive game.
With the heavy price tag attached to his name, it is fair to ask Wiggins to take matters into his own hands and develop more on his own. However, his quiet demeanor and lack of determination are part of the reasons the Minnesota Timberwolves moved on from him. They’re also precisely the reasons the Golden State Warriors signed on to take him, recognizing the impact their leaders can make on young players, especially ones with the talent of a No.1 overall pick.
Giving Wiggins more responsibility in the offense, to create shots for himself at all levels and set up teammates with his athleticism, will help the Warriors’ offense in the long run. It would be a major lift to mold another ‘alpha’ in the starting lineup, who could not only score and demand the ball but could also dish and create for lesser-skilled teammates.
Elevating Wiggins’ offensive game enough, to the point he’s a 20 point-per-game scorer with 3 or 4 assists-per-contest, is another goal of great importance for the Warriors this season. He’s no Kevin Durant, and he’s not expected to outscore Curry, but he is expected to produce like an All-Star worthy of his pay grade.