Andrew Wiggins' form has been one of the biggest talking points in the Golden State Warriors' season, with the former number one overall pick having statistically the worst year of his decade playing in the league.
At 29-years-old, Wiggins should be in the prime of his career and delivering night in and night out. Yet like some of his older teammates, the Canadian's best is too often seen in passing flashes rather than consistent excellence.
Are the Golden State Warriors exhausting themselves in the hope that Andrew Wiggins rediscovers his 2022 playoff form?
Wiggins' second-half of the season has certainly been better than his first -- a rather disastrous period that eventually led to a benching for the first time in his career. Regardless, Wiggins hasn't been at the standard Golden State need of him on a consistent basis, proving pivotal in the plight of their season.
After Wiggins had 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in Miami on Tuesday, Klay Thompson reiterated the importance of the 2022 All-Star in who the Warriors want to be. The comments drew the ire of 95.7 The Game's Mark Willard who on Wednesday sounded off on Golden State's coddling of Wiggins this season.
"How many times are you going to ask somebody to do the same thing before you just go, 'no'...How many times are you going to ask your fanbase to sit here after a game and listen to you pat him on the back of the head when he plays well?"Mark Willard
"I want to talk about the way the Warriors are talking to Andrew Wiggins. I wouldn't do that anymore. I give up. If Andrew Wiggins were a relationship, I would have ended it by now...Aren't y'all exhausted?"@Mark_T_Willard | @WillardAndDibs
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) March 27, 2024
🎧 https://t.co/lpSYpFFY83 pic.twitter.com/rMfOUh3Kux
There's little doubt the Warriors would be harder on Wiggins internally, but they're also in a tough position given he's also been dealing with off-court familial issues over the last 12 months. Wiggins missed a significant period late last season on personal leave, while he also missed four games for the same reason about a month ago.
Willard's comments are very much reasonable and there's a genuine chance Golden State end their relationship with Wiggins in the offseason, but while he's on the team there clearly needs to be a path on how to best manage his mindset to get the best from him on the floor.
Some players will respond well to criticism from teammates and coaches, while others may require public uplifting to ensure their confidence remains high. Wiggins appears like the latter, yet the positive reinforcement becomes futile if it's not actually raising a player's level.
Fortunately for the Warriors, Wiggins was closer to his best in a crucial performance against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. With Golden State spluttering offensively and Orlando closing in, Wiggins had 13 fourth-quarter points to finish with 23, six rebounds and two blocks in the Warriors' 101-93 win.