One of the revelations for the Golden State Warriors has been the play of Andrew Wiggins. While many lambasted Joe Lacob and the Warriors for taking on Wiggins’ massive contract, this season is making it clear that he is a crucial part of their future. Andrew Wiggins has blossomed into a legitimate two-way player, and if he keeps this up, he may well be an All-Star in the future. After his Minnesota days, many people were ready to give up on Andrew Wiggins, but the people in the Warriors organization weren’t part of the naysayers.
Joe Lacob has recently talked about the rationale the franchise had when they traded All-Star D’Angelo Russell for Andrew Wiggins. The deal in hindsight looks better and better for the Warriors, and here is what Lacob had to say in an article by Marcus Thompson II. Lacob wasn’t at all surprised by the amazing defensive performances from Wiggins.
“I’m not going to sit here and say I told you so,” Lacob said, followed by a chuckle that basically said exactly that. “Yeah, I’m not gonna do that.”
Making it look even better for the Warriors: The Timberwolves look bad. That draft pick is trending toward the top of the draft. Russell hasn’t gotten to play much with Karl-Anthony Towns, whose life has been just rocked by COVID-19, but it’s not looking good in the Twin Cities. The Timberwolves have to be praying that the lottery balls deliver them a top-three pick, which would keep it out of the Warriors’ hands.
“Let’s put it this way,” Lacob said, shifting his tone down, taking it easy on me. “We were pretty hopeful that he was a, you know, guy that was still very young, just entering his prime. He had been in an organization that maybe wasn’t optimal for him, to put it nicely, and he’s a very talented guy. Now, whether he could be the No. 1, or should be the No. 1 option on a team, or the No. 1 pick in the draft — we can all debate those things. But he has proven, at least so far, certainly to be a solid offensive player. And a solid defensive player, right? Would you agree?”
Andrew Wiggins’ new nickname of “Two-way Wiggs” is entirely accurate. Andrew Wiggins is one of the best non-center shot blockers in the league and has the athleticism and quickness to guard anyone on the perimeter. It is clear that the Warriors got a good player out of the trade, and one who could slot in nicely around Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Let’s not forget that the Timberwolves also had to give up their 2021 pick, and as the article mentions, the Warriors are going to get another solid pick unless the Timberwolves get lucky in the lottery.
The Andrew Wiggins trade looks more and more like a steal for the Warriors. While they did have to trade away an elite point guard, Andrew Wiggins has shown that he was worth the trade. He has become one of the best defenders in the league, and the Warriors look ready to compete.
