The acquisition of Andrew Wiggins gives the Warriors a young and talented scoring wing. Through 5 seasons in Minnesota, Wiggins has been unable to live up to the hype surrounding him as a #1 overall pick in the 2014 draft.
For most of his tenure, he was asked to be the second option, behind All-Star center, Karl-Anthony Towns. So how do the Warriors plan on using him in Golden State? According to Steve Kerr, his role will be drastically different than it was in Minny.
“There’s a difference in the role that we’re gonna ask him to play, too,” Kerr said. “Minnesota needed him to be a star. And we’re not asking him to be a star. We’re asking him to play a role on a team that already has some star players”
“When you have to play that role, it means bringing energy every night more than it means putting up numbers. He’s very capable of giving us numbers, but what we need is energy and the commitment defensively and sprinting the floor.”
Steve goes on to explain how Wiggins is an ideal fit for what they need going forward.
“It’s a positional fit when we’re healthy,” Kerr explained. “The big hole in the roster really is at the three. Wings are really hard to come by — both in the draft and in free agency. Positionally, this makes a lot of sense.”
“Wiggins is an electric athlete and we want to play fast. He’s gonna be on the wing — we’re gonna try to push the ball ahead — and we’re gonna ask him to sprint the wing every time down the floor. He’s got the length and the speed to fill that role as a small forward. There’s a lot to like.”
“He’s been in a tough spot and people have talked about him underachieving the last few years, so let’s see what we can do and let’s see what he can do next to a group of players who have been wildly successful.”
It’ll be interesting to see how Drew plays alongside Steph, Curry, and Draymond next season. Despite his past, there has never been a bigger opportunity to turn things around.
So far this season, Wiggins is averaging 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 44% shooting.
