Steve Kerr of the Warriors Must Make a “Urgent” Decision About a $109 Million Star, Coach
The Warriors’ coach, Steve Kerr, has made a decision regarding Andrew Wiggins and the starting lineup.
The amount of minutes you play in the fourth quarter as an NBA player can give you some insight into what your coach thinks of your performance. Furthermore, the numbers ought to worry Golden State Warriors player Andrew Wiggins a little.
Recall that Wiggins was third on the team last year with 7.8 minutes of fourth quarter play. That’s down to 6.2 minutes this year, which ranks seventh on the team.
Wiggins’s numbers are harsh. Averaging 12.6 points on 42.1% of his shots, he is doing well. His season 3-point percentage is just 27.7%, a sign of severe decline. Though he has improved recently (46.4% in his last seven games), he has still had difficulty handling the ball and committing mistakes. Even though he is still a very good defensive player, he has fallen off.
Although the starting five has generally struggled, so it’s not entirely his fault that his on/off numbers are what they are, they nonetheless convey a difficult reality: the Warriors are 5.8 points better offensively when Wiggins is off the court and 8.7 points better defensively when he is.
This year, Wiggins’ on/off numbers are an ugly -14.5.
A coach from the Western Conference told Heavy Sports, “They’re being patient.” But what are you going to do with Andrew Wiggins? Their level of patience is unknown to me. It’s becoming more pressing. With their current roster, they are capable of much more than they currently are.
The On/Off Stats for Andrew Wiggins Have Been Terrible
Of course, easier said than done. A key player in the Warriors’ 2022 NBA title run, Andrew Wiggins is currently in the first year of a four-year, $109 million contract. Nobody wants to bench a player for 20 games after signing a deal like that.
Coach Seve Kerr continues to believe that he will be essential to the team’s success wherever they end up. In his opinion, there is still more to discover about this Warriors team at the 25% point in the season.
This week, Kerr was questioned about continuing to use his starting five in spite of their difficulties.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Kerr stated that “it’s more big picture.” “I believe that we didn’t really get a chance to see this group for the entire quarter of the season that we’re talking about because of Draymond’s suspension.
“This year has just been strange.” numerous moving components. Here, I’m going to give it another go, and we’ll see what happens.
Moses Moody May Hold the Key to Healing Warriors
However, as the West coach noted, the Warriors’ issue is that both Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson have had difficulties, meaning the team is having trouble on both wings.
Although it might make more sense for Kerr to bench Thompson and use him as a sixth man, doing so might cause issues in the locker room and erode the trust that Kerr has built with Thompson over the years.
Wiggins is a simpler maneuver. He also has a ready-made substitute.
“Moses Moody,” the trainer uttered. “He is a better fit for what they have in that starting group, not because he is superior to Andrew Wiggins. They require a little hustle and the energy that only a young man can provide. They have a lot of guys with a lot of experience, and occasionally adding a younger, more eager player to the mix ignites those guys.
The Warriors have a record of 10–12. They require some kind of spark. Although it’s a very small sample size, the Warriors have a 3-1 record this season when Moody starts. Wiggins and Moody’s actions could provide the necessary spark.
