3 Golden State Warriors who need a monster second half of the season to save their job

2. Andrew Wiggins

There was a rise in Andrew Wiggins' form just prior to the All-Star break, but the Canadian's overall production was still disappointing over his first 48 games of the season. That included a demotion to the bench at one point, and plenty of speculation about a Wiggins trade right up until the deadline.

In fact, Wiggins may have Draymond Green to thank for still being on the team. The 33-year-old's return from suspension unlocked the combination of Wiggins and third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga, a duo that had previously been completely ineffective in Green's absence.

Wiggins' future may have got a jolt of security once the deadline passed, but the 28-year-old is hardly out of the woods despite having around three years and $85 million remaining on his contract beyond this season.

Sure, he may have his money locked in, but it might not be at the Warriors unless Wiggins' production improves. If the franchise wishes to reduce their luxury tax bill, the 2022 All-Star is a prime candidate to be moved on.

Golden State don't necessarily need the 'second-best player on a championship team Wiggins' that they got two years ago, with Kuminga's emergence largely reducing that requirement. However, they do need more consistent two-way production from their starting small-forward. Wiggins needs to get his scoring back up to at least 15 per game, and hopefully that stems from his three-point shooting rising back into the high 30 percent range rather than the sub 35 percent it's currently at.