The Andrew Wiggins Experience
The Andrew Wiggins Experience is equal parts frustrating and exciting. It’s painful and joyous and ugly and beautiful all at the same time. And it’s in full effect for the Golden State Warriors.
Through the team’s first five games, he’s averaging 17.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 37.5 percent shooting from the field and 41.7 percent from three on a little under five attempts per game.
Numbers rarely tell the full story and, in Wiggins’ case, it’s nearly impossible to capture the true essence of his 2020-21 campaign thus far with just stats. He was unimpressive, to say the least, against the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks and phenomenal in wins over the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons; and he was a little bit of both at home against the Portland Trailblazers. He’s had moments where he looked unplayable and others where he looked unstoppable. His lethargic play hurt them to start the season and his aggressiveness helped uplift them to two important road wins.
Wiggins has been one of the NBA’s most polarizing talents since the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him with the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Despite his incredible athleticism and explosiveness, the University of Kansas product has not blossomed into the star many expected him to be.
The 25-year-old wing averages 19.7 points per game on 44 percent shooting for his career. He was, often, the focal point of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ offense, leading his team in field goal attempts in four of his six seasons with them.
The Warriors traded away their high-scoring guard D’Angelo Russell to acquire Wiggins, hoping the forward could fit the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green more smoothly. Thompson’s devastating Achilles injury thrust Wiggins into a larger role, one that will take some time for Steve Kerr to game plan for and even more time for no. 22 to adjust to.
As a spectator, it’s often easy to want to lose faith in Wiggins. When he’s off of his game, it’s a grind to endure. His inconsistencies manifest in the form of poor shot selection and a passive approach. Throughout his career, he has settled for low-percentage jump shots and struggled with varying degrees of focus.
However, there are moments that remind you of why he was selected first overall and why so many — including the Warriors’ front office — believe in him. Wiggins was dominant against the Pistons, scoring 17 much-needed points in the 4th quarter. He knocked down 5 three-pointers and, most importantly, established the drive early. He slammed home an impressive two-handed dunk over the entire Detroit defense and got himself a few other easy looks at the cup throughout the night.
And then there are games where he’s both versions of himself. In their loss to the Blazers, Wiggins spent a lot of time just floating around, not necessarily doing anything to help -- or actively hurt -- the team. Then, at random points in the game, he would string together a few possessions of high-energy play.
Despite employing the greatest shooter to ever pick up a basketball, the Warriors have a spacing problem. Many of their key players are, at best, average shooters, and some — such as Kelly Oubre Jr. — are in slumps to start the season.
Nonetheless, it’s important for Kerr to surround Wiggins with several shooting threats to give him the chance to get to his spots. That also means simplifying the offense to allow him to do what he does best. In Chicago and Detroit, there were more instances of Wiggins either using his triple-threat effectively to get past his man or high pick-and-rolls that gave him the chance to get into the lane. Kerr’s offense can, at times, be overcomplicated for an inexperienced, less creative roster than what he’s used to. If Wiggins -- and the Warriors in general -- are to make some noise, they’ll have to be more direct in their attack.
Wiggins’ athleticism speaks for itself, but he also has a lot of potential as a passer on a team that desperately needs playmaking outside of Curry and Green. Though he only averages a pair of assists per game, he has shown to be solid playing the drive-and-kick game, finding teammates around the perimeter after forcing the defense to collapse around him.
While there are measures Kerr, Curry, and the Warriors can take to put Wiggins in a position to succeed, it ultimately comes down to his own approach.
He has to make his presence felt, one way or another. In Brooklyn and Milwaukee, Wiggins wasn’t just having a bad game — it seemed like he wasn’t there at all. On a subpar team with little aspirations like the Timberwolves, a young player’s focus dwindling is disheartening but understandable. There’s little excuse for playing a game without passion on a team with a championship culture and Hall of Fame teammates who leave it all on the floor every night.
He has to play to his strengths. When he’s at his best, he’s going over and going through defenders — not around them. He’s using his explosiveness to grab rebounds and defend multiple positions.
Until he figures it all out consistently, the Warriors and their fans — I included, admittedly — need to be patient with the Andrew Wiggins Experience.
Sometimes he’s going to knock down a midrange jumper and then come back down and airball his next one. Sometimes he’s going to jump out of the gym and finish strong at the rim and sometimes he’s going to convert just 28% (6-21) of his layups through two games, per Basketball News’ Nekias Duncan.
The hope is that the Warriors can bring the best out of him. That they can give him the tools and guidance to unlock his full potential as he approaches the start of the prime of his career. That the environment can motivate Wiggins to play hard if nothing else.
The Warriors will have to live with some of the offensive inefficiency and defensive lapses that comes with a player like Wiggins on their roster, but the key for him comes down to effort — can he remain aggressive and make his presence felt in some way on a regular basis?
Only time will tell, but the Warriors have gotten a good look at both extremes of the Wiggins spectrum and understand their work is cut out for them. The growing pains will be difficult to withstand, but the payoff could be rewarding when it’s all said and done.