Why Andrew Wiggins is the Warriors’ X-Factor for another championship run

The 2021-22 season has started in a terrific way for the Golden State Warriors. The record is 8-1, and the team seems ready for another championship run.

While Stephen Curry is going to be again one of the main contenders for the MVP and Draymond Green will also be included in the conversation about the DPOY award, the key player for the Warriors’ success is Andrew Wiggins.

Andrew Wiggins is starting a new season with the Golden State Warriors and is going to be a weapon for Steve Kerr in his quest for a fourth title.

Wiggins has started his season with some up and down play. He is adjusting in a new role as the third offensive option behind Steph Curry and Jordan Poole. Each of the aforementioned players have usage rate greater than 27% and Wiggins has only 21%.

But make no mistake; Wiggins is the second-most consistent scorer for the GSW, and as the season goes on, his touches and usage will be up. The same thing happened with Kelly Oubre Jr. last year, but it was Wiggins who became the second best scorer when needed most.

So, while Jordan Poole is a great scorer, Wiggins’ ability to drive to the rim, run into transition and score in iso plays will eventually be one of the Warriors’ main strengths, especially with Klay Thompson back on the lineup.

Last year, he was among the best in the league in iso points per possession (1.04 PPP), transition points per possesion (1.17) and is widely known that is a capable above the rim finisher. All of his weapons fit right into Steve Kerr’s offensive system.

Right now, the Canadian star averages 16 points per game on 37% from three in a career-low 21% usage and 29 minutes per game. His minutes are expected to go up, as the team’s best perimeter defender, and his usage is expected to go up as the teams second best offensive player.

Despite Wiggins’ ability to score and to provide really solid drive and kick production, his main focus was- and still is- his defense. The 26-year-old small forward is emerging as one of the league’s most prolific and versatile defenders.

This year, he has the best defensive rating of his career, 100, good for third-best among all the starting wings, and he is 19th in the league in Defensive Win Shares.

He is responsible for disrupting the production of the best player of the opposing team guarding one through four with ease and has already led Ja Morant on a 2-8 shooting night against him, while Ja was scoring over and over again when he was not guarded by Wiggins.

Right now, Andrew Wiggins is coming of a knee injury and a minutes restriction period that was holding him back a bit. While the Warriors are winning with him and Steph Curry being a little worse than the can be, the expectation are very high for the whole team.

And while Steph and Draymond are going to be the leaders of the team, Andrew Wiggins will be the key  for the Warriors to win it all.

Not many player can guard the opponent’s best player and go for an easy 17 points game. Wiggins does it right now. His rythm is slowly coming back. His intensity is upgrading and his play will be the X factor for a team that is already first in Net Rating in the league.