Warriors: Andrew Wiggins confirming stature as well-rounded weapon

There’s a reason why, when Andrew Wiggins recently signed a four-year, $109 million contract extension, most around the league viewed it as a huge steal for the Golden State Warriors. His play through four games has shown no signs of complacency and in fact, at just 27 years of age, his career curve and trajectory appears still very much on the rise.

The NBA Finals signaled Andrew Wiggins as a versatile weapon and the Golden State Warriors’ second most important player, with that sentiment only strengthening to begin the season.

The deal Wiggins signed is comparative for 3-and-D wings, vitally important players who are crucial to successful teams. That may seem excessive, but it’s the going rate given wing dominance in the league and an ever-growing salary cap. Finding someone capable of containing the opposition’s best is worth the contract in itself, evident by Wiggins’ job on Jayson Tatum during the 2022 NBA Finals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHehe3kqOic

The issue is lumping Wiggins into the three-and-D category, even if that style best reflects his transformation from his days in Minnesota. He’s averaging 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, two steals and 1.3 blocks on 49.3% from the field and 35.7% from three — not the numbers of a basic three-and-D wing.

The often hidden gem of Wiggins’ development has been the conservation of facets that made him a number one overall pick in the first place — someone with the talent to get you a bucket in a difficult situation. While he’s tempered that in Golden State, Steve Kerr does provide him with the odd isolation possession, particularly with a dwindling shot clock. They’re also eager to use him in the post whenever he has a mismatch against smaller defenders.

All the aspects form to make up the Warriors’ second most valuable player — he’s second behind Stephen Curry in win-shares, offensive box plus-minus and overall box plus-minus, while being third to Draymond Green and Kevon Looney in defensive box plus-minus. He’s also second behind Curry in VORP (value over replacement player).

Wiggins and the Warriors have festered into something akin to a marriage — initially falling into each other’s laps unexpectedly, and for a while thinking they’d move onto greener pastures. Somehow the honeymoon stage has been sustained, built on the foundations of sacrifice and a willingness to work together.