Andrew Wiggins and Steph Curry make up the Warriors’ backcourt in victory in …

Well, well, well! The NBA world has been holding its breath like a kid who’s just seen their Christmas presents, only to find out they were all socks! That’s right, Andrew Wiggins made his highly anticipated return for the Golden State Warriors, and what a moment it was—sort of like finding a penny in the couch but more exciting.

Now, after a six-month hiatus, Wiggins didn’t exactly come in like a lion but rather more like a rusty hinge. He took to the court with all the finesse of a giraffe on roller skates, finishing with a grand total of 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Where’s the Wiggins we remember?” Well, let’s face it, folks—the man’s seen more time in the gym than in an actual game.

But don’t underestimate the significance of this exercise. Coach Steve Kerr was practically gleeful as he observed that Wiggins and the ever-popular Stephen Curry were breathing fresh air into a lineup that can only be described as “the Avengers of basketball.” With Draymond Green and the ever-charming Trayce Jackson-Davis tailing behind, this lineup might just be what the Warriors need, if only for some decent comic relief when they fumble the ball!

Speaking of stepping up, can we take a moment to appreciate Kerr’s bold proclamations about Wiggins? He wants him shooting six—yes, six—3-pointers a game! It’s like telling a kid to eat their veggies while secretly giving them chocolate—bit confusing, but hey, everybody wins! If Wiggins can shoot more and score more, he might finally be on the road to becoming a second option instead of, well, a backup plan that you only remember exists when the first one fails.

Let’s talk about his shooting—38.1% from beyond the arc. Not quite the sharpshooter that Klay Thompson is, but certainly not in the realm of “you missed the basket by a mile.” The man can shoot. Having said that, when Kerr says “more threes,” I can’t help but wonder if the next Warrior game will look like a 3-point contest hosted by Stephen Curry, complete with fireworks and a DJ hyping up the crowd.

And although Wiggins might not be the defensive oracle that Klay could be, he’s certainly proven to be a much better defender on-ball—one of the few bright spots last season amidst a ship sailing for iceberg after iceberg. With new faces like De’Anthony Melton ready to jump in and add defensive snarl, it looks like this season has the potential to turn just a couple more corners than it has in the past!

Remember, folks: this is just preseason. Just a brief glimpse into a future that could be brighter than a thousand suns – or at least a solid 15-watt bulb. Will Wiggins rise to the occasion? Will he take the Warriors to the promised land, or will it all end up as just a regular Tuesday at the office? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure. If Wiggins can find that groove, we’re in for one heck of a show!

So, grab those snacks, sit back, and let’s see if Wiggins can deliver a performance worthy of a standing ovation rather than a polite golf clap! 🏀

For the first time in six months, the Warriors got a microscopic glimpse Tuesday night of Andrew Wiggins during an NBA game. They didn’t expect much and didn’t get much because it scraped off a considerable amount of rust.

But the presence of Wiggins and position provided a pre-season glimpse of what’s possible. And reasonable.

Wiggins did not start at his usual position of small forward, but at shooting guard, where he never started a regular season game for Golden State. He shared the backcourt with point guard Stephen Curry, a role made legendary by the two-way talents of peak Klay Thompson.

Curry and Wiggins made up two-fifths of a lineup — along with Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis — that might be the most balanced the Warriors could assemble.

“The key is JK and Wiggs running the court,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters in Las Vegas after a 111-97 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at T-Mobile Arena. “It puts a lot of pressure on the teams. And they set the right tone tonight, the way they went down, with or without the ball, they went. I really like the way these two guys played and the impact they can have with their athleticism and strength.

Wiggins played 21 minutes, finishing with 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field, including 0-of-3 from distance. He was 5 of 5 from the line and added an assist and a steal.

The tiny sample size of Golden State’s fifth starting lineup through five games offered nothing declarative — much less definitive — mainly because Wiggins, who missed most of training camp, was new in action.

Kerr has visualized a possible Curry-Wiggins backcourt for most of the year, since then recognizing the increasing likelihood of Klay Thompson leaving Golden State. Kerr has long viewed Thompson and Wiggins, of similar size and two-way ability, as interchangeable wings; this was an opportunity to examine this notion.

While Wiggins will never be the dead-eyed shooter that Thompson is, he is now a better defender on the ball. He has the tools to do a decent to great job against most point guards in the league, and that was one of Golden State’s most visible weaknesses last season. General manager Mike Dunleavy addressed that topic in July by signing De’Anthony Melton, an elite defender at the point of attack. Gary Payton II, who missed most of last season, is another Hellcat on the ball.

But Wiggins is tidier and offers greater offensive versatility. Since joining the Warriors in February 2020, he is 38.1% from beyond the arc. Not Klay, but very solid. In 2021-22, when Wiggins made the Western Conference All-Star team, he shot 39.3% from deep. Again, not Klay, but more than acceptable.

One of Kerr’s many clear messages to Wiggins is to increase his 3-point shooting volume.

“I told him before: six 3-pointers a game,” Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke last week. “He’s a very good 3-point shooter. It was down a bit last year. But since he’s been here – 39, 40 percent. I want a lot of threes and I want a lot of attacks to the rim. He shot over 80 percent from the foul line in the second half of last year.

“He looks really comfortable in all aspects of the game. And let’s face it, with Klay gone, we need him to step up and be our second scorer after Steph, and we know he is perfectly capable of it.

If Wiggins shoots six more threes per game, that gives more space to Kuminga, whose 3-ball looks better but could still be secondary to his ability to attack the rim. Both were in the starting lineup because Kerr’s dream scenario is to play them together – having two athletic 6-foot-7 wings to challenge opponents on both ends.

While Melton is a legitimate scoring threat, it’s a stretch to expect him to approach 20 points per game. That’s more than double his career average. And GP2 is a defensive player who is good for a few corner triples, but not big scores.

Wiggins, on the other hand, averages 18.5 points per game during his career. He topped the 20 per game mark four times during his 10-year career, all while playing with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With Thompson gone, Wiggins is no longer a good third option for scoring. The question is that he now becomes a good second option. He has the tools, and now he must make the most of them.

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