The Golden State Warriors may have got the job done over the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Monday, but it was hardly an inspiring performance worthy of filing in the memory bank.
The hosts appeared on track to produce a shock win, before the Warriors closed the game on a 27-12 run largely thanks to Stephen Curry and Chris Paul. Golden State may have moved to 6-2 on the season, yet there’s plenty to work on from both a team and individual standpoint.
Andrew Wiggins’ poor form continues to be a major talking point through the Golden State Warriors first eight games of the season.
After 17 points and five rebounds against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, there was optimism that Andrew Wiggins’ form was on the way up. But after a rough back-to-back against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Pistons, question marks around the Canadian’s form continues to circulate.
Wiggins had just 12 points in 48 combined minutes across both games. His 11 rebounds may be an improving factor, yet 5-18 shooting simply isn’t cutting the mustard. The 28-year-old is a shell of the consistent 17-20 point per game scorer he’s always been, averaging just 10.8 across the first eight games this season.
His three-point shooting numbers have plummeted — after shooting 39.6% on 6.1 attempts per game last season, he’s now shooting 17.6% on 2.1 attempts so far in 2023-24. When the Warriors look to get him going against mismatches in the post, Wiggins has often failed to take advantage. The same can be said for his free-throw shooting which sits at a dismal 53.6%.
Wiggins is far from his 2022 All-Star self, to the point where he’s scarcely a consideration for Steve Kerr’s closing lineup. But things hit a new low for the former number one overall pick on Monday as Golden State found themselves in a genuine fight down the stretch.
When Wiggins exited the game with over six minutes still remaining in the third-quarter, he had tallied just four points on 2-9 shooting. He wasn’t to be seen again in the game, with Kerr preferring the likes of Chris Paul, Jonathan Kuminga and Gary Payton II.
Not closing the game is one thing, but not playing at all over the last 18 minutes is a whole new level of concern. It’s still early and there’s plenty of time, but the pressure is beginning to grow on Wiggins the further his poor form rolls on.
The Warriors need Wiggins to be somewhere near his very best to win a championship, there’s no doubt about that. In some ways he’s fortunate, the franchise’s healthy 6-2 record has and does give him some leeway he otherwise may not be afforded. Regardless, his minutes and role is continuing to rightly grow in scrutiny as the struggles continue for the two-way forward.
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