Ranking Golden State Warriors from the 2022-23 season – Andrew Wiggins
With the 2022-23 season having come to an end, we look back and review every player that took to the floor for the Golden State Warriors. Players are ranked on performance, with some of that based on preseason expectations.
For really the first time in his nine-year NBA career, Golden State Warriors’ forward Andrew Wiggins was forced to deal with injury and personal issues that interrupted what was otherwise another solid campaign for the 2021 All-Star.
Having played at least 70 games in all but the covid-affected season of 2019-20, Wiggins has formed himself as one of the most durable players in the league across his career. That shifted in 2022-23, ultimately leaving a major void for the Warriors for much of the season.
In what promises to be a big boost for the Golden State Warriors in 2023-24, Andrew Wiggins will look to bounce back from a season that never fully got into motion.
Coming off a championship-winning playoff run where he was the Warriors’ second-best player, Wiggins picked up where he left off with three 20+ point outings to begin the season. In a disappointing start for the defending champions, the Canadian was an ever-reliable presence with 20 points on 11 separate occasions through the first 18 games.
Wiggins’ three-point continued to flourish, nailing six three-points against the Houston Rockets on November 20, before backing that up with another six as part of a 31-point display in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers three days later.
The hot shooting continued when he knocked down an equal career-high eight threes on December 3 against the Rockets, scoring 36 points on an incredibly efficient 14-for-19 from the floor and 8-for-10 from deep.
Unfortunately that was to be Wiggins’ last game for an extended period, with the former number one overall pick succumbing to an adductor strain that saw him miss 15-straight games. His form upon return was underwhelming, averaging just 12.8 points on 36/23/56 shooting splits during eight games in January.
The struggles for Wiggins largely continued in February, at least until it looked like he’d found some form with a 29-point, seven-rebound performance in Washington shortly after All-Star break. However, the momentum was halted with his father falling ill, understandably causing Wiggins to spend time away from the franchise.
The news of his father’s health wasn’t reported until after Wiggins’ return to the team, leaving a huge period of uncertainty where fans were left wondering whether he’d return at all for Golden State’s playoff run. He did so, making his return off the bench in the Warriors’ opening playoff game against the Sacramento Kings.
Wiggins was good during the postseason, re-integrating seamlessly in averaging 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and shooting 45.9% from the field in 34 minutes per game. He didn’t quite make the same statement as the year before though, with his three-point shooting and defense unable to climb back to the same high-level. Still, given all the time he’d missed in playing just 37 regular season games, it was unfair to expect anything more than what he produced.
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With a new four-year, $109 million contract starting next season, there’s nothing to suggest that Wiggins won’t remain as one of the most valuable two-way wings in the league. Now it’s about getting back to putting another long, sustained season together in 2023-24.