Andrew Wiggins may have just gotten a wish fulfilled when the Minnesota Timberwolves sent him to the Golden State Warriors for D'Angelo Russell. The former top pick failed to take off with the T-Wolves and hopes that the case would be different in Dub City. It appears head coach Steve Kerr feels the same.
It is no secret that the Dubs were elated getting the Canadian to the fold. Wiggins fills in an important void at small forward and now looms as a key piece of the Warriors' future. Even better is the fact that the 25-year-old is not purely a scorer. He showed Kerr that he could defend as well and was quick on his feet.
Wiggins admits that the change of scenery was something he was open to. He was aware of the criticism but paid no attention to them. The 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year knows that all of it was part of his job. Now, he hopes to prove critics wrong and potentially win an NBA title with the franchise moving forward.
"I feel like it was time for a change and this is the best fit that could have happened for me, so I'm happy." Said he didn't lose any sleep over anything his critics said or wrote about him. Comes with the territory," Wiggins said in an interview with the Toronto Sun.
The true value of Wiggins may not be seen this 2019-20 NBA season with the Dubs out of the playoff picture. Golden State is using its remaining games to mesh the current crop which will likely determine who will stay and who will go. Stephen Curry is back in harness and Kerr plans to blend him in with Wiggins. If all goes well, the Dubs could be back in contention by the 2020-21 NBA season.
It has been a woeful year filled with bad luck for Kerr and the Dubs. Klay Thompson missed the season due to an ACL injury and there were some key players sent off. After making the finals the past couple of years, the Warriors needed to overhaul the roster. Kevin Durant chose to move to Brooklyn while Iguodala and Livingston were let go.
The good news is that the Dubs will have a more complete lineup next season. Draymond Green, Thompson, and Curry are all healthy plus Wiggins. There are also promising players like Marquese Chriss in the mix. They may be out of the NBA playoff picture this season but the scenario will be different in the coming months.
