Warriors fumble first game as fans already want Andrew Wiggins dealt
If you went on Twitter and just searched “Andrew Wiggins trade,” there was no shortage of fans calling for the Warriors to trade the small forward.
The Golden State Warriors kicked off their season with a loss to the Brooklyn Nets. It wasn’t just a loss but a full-on beatdown.
A side that has a fully healthy Kevin Durant and an energized Kyrie Irving along with arguably the best supporting cast in the entire league, the Warriors stood no chance. This game didn’t teach us as much about the Warriors as it did the Nets.
It started off early well, but in the first quarter, it quickly got out of control. By halftime, the lead had blossomed to 18. Reaching 30 or more through the game, the Warriors ended up losing by 26 points.
Let’s think about a few things for a second.
The Warriors were without Draymond Green.
A three-time champion and a three-time All-Star, Green is widely viewed as the leader of the team, despite Stephen Curry clearly being the franchise’s best player. Green has been the engine to the offense before Kevin Durant and should be able to ignite it again.
It wasn’t just Green’s absence that doomed the Warriors, but the inexperience will cause some growing pains. That was James Wiseman’s first game as a professional. He at three games in the NCAA and a training camp to prepare for. Cut him some slack.
Now, with Wiggins, that was just ugly. It wasn’t just his 13 points on 4-for-16 shooting, but his entire repertoire of talents just wasn’t put to good use. Wiggins’ contract will keep him on the roster, or they’ll have to pay a premier to ship him elsewhere.
Kelly Oubre Jr., although he was rather inefficient and had some mistakes, brought the energy. He was making plays, dunking on opponents and just causing his presence to be felt. He seemed like the only one trying at points.
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It was a rough first game for the Warriors, but there’s no doubt that these first two games are far from an indicator on how their season will progress. Stay with this team, and they’ll be entertaining on a nightly basis when they put it together.