Getty/Kavin Mistry Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors high fives teammate Jordan Poole against the Brooklyn Nets.
Would anyone have thought Andrew Wiggins would become an All-Star this season…let alone a starter? He made the team as a starter over the likes of Devin Booker and Luka Doncic.
Regardless of if Wiggins should or should not have been a starter, Warrior fans can careless. It’s official now, and he will be starting in Cleveland with Stephen Curry.
Head coach Steve Kerr recently was on Bay Area station 95.7 The Game’s Damon & Ratto to chat about the Warriors, but specifically Wiggins and his newfound confidence on the hardwood.
“Andrew is just the most humble, modest guy. I do think though that being named a starter has infused him with more confidence than ever. He’s looked so good since a week ago when he was named All-Star. He’s shooting the lights out, he’s playing with such ease and confidence and it’s great to see. He’s put all the work in, he’s dealt with a lot of stuff over the years, a lot of stress, people calling him a ‘bust’ and all that stuff. He’s just put his head down and worked and he’s earned this. He’s just playing lights out right now.”
When the Warriors bailed on D’Angelo Russell and traded him for Andrew Wiggins, the initial thought from the Warriors’ brass was that Wiggins could be a defensive specialist, and possibly a catch and shoot threat surrounding the Splash Brothers and Draymond Green. Over the course of the two-and-half seasons Wiggins has played in the Bay Area, his offensive game has progressed to the point he is a legitimate threat as a shot creator at times, and can be relied on to hit shots down the stretch.
Exactly What Has Wiggins Done to Show His Confidence on the Court
Kerr provides more context as to what exactly Wiggins is doing that alludes to more confidence that he has shown.
“I think it’s just the smoothness in his game, there’s no indecision. When he’s open he’s just rising up and shooting it, no hesitation. He’s aggressive defensively. He’s just got a very quiet confidence about him and it’s been fun to see it blossom here over the last week.”
Prior to his All-Star selection Wiggins was averaging 18.1 points on 48% shooting and 40% from three in 44 games played. In three games since the selection the former first overall pick is averaging 22 points with a blistering 57% from the field and 54% from three. Obviously, this is a tiny sample size and probably is not sustainable, but Kerr’s observation of Wiggins newfound confidence does have the statistics to back up his claims.
Wiggins Journey to Get to This Point
There is a saying around the NBA that it is 75% confidence and 25% talent. After all, to become one of the top 450 players in the world, one has to be pretty good at basketball to get to that elite level.
Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins career has been rocky to put it nicely. After being dubbed as the ‘Maple Jordan’, he was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. That coincided with LeBron James penning a ‘I’m Coming Home’ letter that named guys that James was excited to play with but Wiggins. Soon after, he was traded to Minnesota where he spent more than half a decade.
During the 2019-20 season, Wiggins was traded to Golden State in a deal that helped give his career a second life. Going number one, expectations were high for Wiggins. Up to the point he left Minnesota, people listed him as a bust and overrated guard who will never reach stardom as most number one picks usually do.
His rise from an overrated guard to now a surprising All-Star starter nod is something that many fans can get behind.