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Golden State Warriors: Andrew Wiggins defense was overlooked

By Tony Pesta

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 21: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on April 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 21: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on April 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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Andrew Wiggins is a player who, right or wrong, has routinely been criticized for not improving much since his rookie season. Well, the former No. 1 overall pick improved quite a bit in his first full season with the Golden State Warriors… yet, no one seemed to notice.

The NBA All-Defensive Teams were released today and were headlined by the usual names such as Rudy Gobert, Ben Simmons,  Draymond Green, Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler with newcomer Matisse Thybulle making his first appearance on the list. Everyone here deserves their placement, however, in spite of a stellar season defensively, Wiggins received just one vote for the All-Defense Second Team.

Andrew Wiggins played the best defense of his career with the Golden State Warriors and didn’t receive much credit for his hustle.

You might be thinking, Tony, I don’t see the big deal here. No one can reasonably argue Wiggins deserved a spot on the All-Defensive team over those guys ahead of him. And, you’re right — Wiggins doesn’t deserve to be ahead of Butler, Leonard, Simmons or even Thybulle.

But, things get puzzling when you look at the rest of the voting results. Here are just a few names who received more or the same number of votes as Wiggins:

  • Alex Caruso
  • Julius Randle
  • Fred VanVleet
  • Royce O’Neal
  • Donovan Mitchell
  • Russell Westbrook

I want to note that the voting is broken down by position. Meaning, Wiggins and Caruso were separated here but it should still come as a surprise that Caruso garnered five Second-Team votes while Wiggins earned just one overall.

None of these guys bring much more to the table than the versatility Wiggins provides with his high-end athleticism and wingspan. Wiggins was a key component to a top-five defense this season. One in which he ranked near the top in shots contested per game and Win Shares.

Even someone like Anthony Davis, a four-time All-Defensive member, didn’t necessarily earn more votes than Wiggins this year considering AD appeared in just 36 games compared to Wiggins’ 71. For what it’s worth, Davis missed the cut this year, as well.

It doesn’t feel like the consistency that was on display each night from Wiggins commanded the respect it deserved. Anyways, we can still acknowledge the fantastic improvements, particularly in the hustle department, that Wiggins made this season. Even if the NBA voters didn’t.

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