KEY POINTS

  • The Golden State Warriors were able to acquire the former number one overall pick Andrew Wiggins in the past season
  • The upcoming year looks promising for Wiggins as he's speculated to have a big role for the Warriors
  • The Golden State Warriors are expecting the Splash Brothers to return healthy next season

The past year for the Golden State Warriors features an unusual rebuild for the dominant Bay Area team. After acquiring former number one pick Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors are looking to keep the versatile forward in the coming season.

It was speculated early on that Wiggins was expected to be just an additional trade asset for the Warriors. While Wiggins is seen as a formidable scorer, his consistency and effort have always been a point of criticism. The six-foot-eight frame of Wiggins coupled with his elite athleticism has him seen as an asset for any team. Despite this, the expectations to become an all-around superstar have fallen short.

There have been moments in his career where Wiggins has shown flashes of stardom. The past year saw him increase his averages to 24.4 points a game early in the season.

While that figure has settled down, Wiggins is still putting up strong numbers for the Warriors. Per Anthony Slater of The Athletic, by way of NBC Sports, Wiggins isn’t just a contract that Golden State will give up for anyone.

“Ask anyone in the organization — during their private or public moments — they got Wiggins with the expectation that he’ll be their starting small forward next season, not just a matching contract to flip (like they did with D'Angelo Russell),” Slater wrote.

The acquisition of Wiggins fills in a role similar to what Harrison Barnes brought to the Warriors. The 2015 title run of Golden State featured Barnes as the versatile wing contributing in big moments. The overall consistency of Barnes also proved to be crucial in the historic 73-9 regular season.

Considering that Wiggins is seen as a more explosive scorer, there might be a bigger role for the former Rookie of the Year. With Steph Curry and Klay Thompson coming back healthy next season, the Warriors are looking to be a legitimate threat again in the league. Couple it with a lottery pick and Draymond Green in the mix, Golden State is in position to bounce back stronger than ever.

It will be only a matter of time before the Warriors can display their potential with Wiggins in the picture.

Andrew Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins was selected No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers last month, but he's already been tied to a trade. Reuters
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