Andrew Wiggins Appreciation Thread

[whatisacenter]

Loved the trade that brought Wiggins to the Bay and he was the second best player on the team in '22 when they won their last title.

Wish him well in Miami!

[Zvaart]

All the best for Wiggs. Love him still.
At least he went to Miami, the only other NBA team i watch.

[DonaldSanders]

Thank you Wiggins for all the great moments, a crucial piece in the 2022 championship for the Warriors that the fans will always remember. This man had crazy athleticism and stayed glued to key pieces of other teams like Tatum and Doncic. He was a great teammate, low key guy, and winner for us.

Watch on YouTube

And of course, the heartbreaker:

Watch on YouTube

[Crazy-Canuck]

Man, it was sad watching steph hold back the tears talking about Wiggins post game.

[Coxy]

Thx Wiggs!

[shanedude]

Hope y'all enjoy Jimmy, personally I'm very happy to have Wiggins join the heat.

[Crazy-Canuck]

Mt reported that there were tears flowing in the lockerroom and he hadn't seen this type of sadness seen from a team in a trade. Even he got sentimental and didn't know if it was due to old age, lol.

Apparently he was so beloved on this team, something we as fans don't ever get to see.

[Onus]

I can’t believe we traded Wiggins. He was trying so hard to pick up the scoring these past few games. He really wanted to stay.

[Jester_]

Hope y'all enjoy Jimmy, personally I'm very happy to have Wiggins join the heat.

Take care of our boy. He's not the player he used to be, but he's a top tier guy

[shanedude]

Hope y'all enjoy Jimmy, personally I'm very happy to have Wiggins join the heat.

Take care of our boy. He's not the player he used to be, but he's a top tier guy

Like I said, happy to have the lad. Looks like a man who won't quit on his team.

[donkeylips]

I didn’t want Wiggins when they first traded for him, and he made me eat crow right away. The defense he played as a warriors was way different with the timberwolves. I remember a game against the timberwolves and he was dominating them and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. I was really happy for him. He ended up becoming one of my favorite players on the roster. Warriors don’t win in 22 without him and he will surely be missed. I was hoping they would trade draymond instead of him

[chococo]

Hate to lose Wiggs, but I can understand the trade. Miami needed a scoring guard / wing, who can also play defense (Spoelstra loves defense, and two-play players), and Wiggs fits that requirement. One of my favorite NBA players period. Besides The Dubs, I'll be rooting for Miami in the Eastern Conf. Wish him well.

Go Warriors!

[CDM_Stats]

Mt reported that there were tears flowing in the lockerroom and he hadn't seen this type of sadness seen from a team in a trade. Even he got sentimental and didn't know if it was due to old age, lol.

Apparently was so beloved on this team, something we as fans don't every get to see.

Teammates, staff...

In a Butler trade I understand why he had to go, after their time in Minnesota, but seeing some of the takes on him.. I'll be blunt - Wiggins was having an individually better season this year than he did during the title run. Not by much, but all his peripherals are up, his FTA and FT% jumped, his passing improved a ton (as well as protecting the ball).. and just because the team defense is in shambles compared to the title year doesnt mean its on Wiggins, whos covered as much ground and contested shots at a higher rate than the title year as well

Perpetually underrated. League average scoring on above average volume and high-level defense... was great to see people turn the corner on him, even if a lot are now hedging on what he did - or more accurately, what he was doing. Heat did well to get him for Butler

[B-King]

Personal issues aside, you had a very good run here and was terribly underappreciated. You are a great fit for Miami.

[vvoland]

Mt reported that there were tears flowing in the lockerroom and he hadn't seen this type of sadness seen from a team in a trade. Even he got sentimental and didn't know if it was due to old age, lol.

Apparently was so beloved on this team, something we as fans don't every get to see.

Teammates, staff...

In a Butler trade I understand why he had to go, after their time in Minnesota, but seeing some of the takes on him.. I'll be blunt - Wiggins was having an individually better season this year than he did during the title run. Not by much, but all his peripherals are up, his FTA and FT% jumped, his passing improved a ton (as well as protecting the ball).. and just because the team defense is in shambles compared to the title year doesnt mean its on Wiggins, whos covered as much ground and contested shots at a higher rate than the title year as well

Perpetually underrated. League average scoring on above average volume and high-level defense... was great to see people turn the corner on him, even if a lot are now hedging on what he did - or more accurately, what he was doing. Heat did well to get him for Butler

He was having a great season and I wish they found a way to keep him. I think in Minny, Butler had more trouble with Kat and management than wigs, but I don't remember that episode well. If there was another contract to move other than wigs or dray, I think the dubs would have loved to keep wigs.

Despite his recent play, wiggins was not going to be enough for what this team needed on offense. Someone to grab the reins when Steph is getting triple teamed and drop 40 while taking the disrespect personally. The defense will surely suffer and their need for a backup pg is back. Considering how high I was on the schroder trade and how wrong i became, I'm willing to see this roster through before making up my mind. They have a far lower floor but a much higher ceiling.

Not giving up valuable picks or their young players was a big plus. Signing butler for 2/120 is probably better than signing him for 3/110. They still have ammo to get a big fish this summer or, if they make a decent playoff run, can fill out the roster around the edges (stretch 5, backup pg).

If the reported asking price for KD was correct, this was a better move than all the picks/swaps + dray + jk + podz. I'm not sure it is a better move than doing nothing but it's a relatively safe swing

[marthafokker]

I think Wiggs got the win.

He is going to the East coast with easier playoff run. And the team is young unlike Curry/Dray almost qualified for AARP.

[CDM_Stats]

If the reported asking price for KD was correct, this was a better move than all the picks/swaps + dray + jk + podz. I'm not sure it is a better move than doing nothing but it's a relatively safe swing

Oh is that what they wanted? Then yeah I'd probably pass on that too... I wouldnt care much about JK/Podz/Dray in it, but emptying the coffers for a 36 year old wouldnt be a good idea either. And I do think that Curry/KD/Wiggins as a 1-2-3 with solid role players around them would be a hell of a lot better than the aftermath of the Jimmy trade

So if the choice was between those 2 options, then yeah, do the Jimmy deal. I just vastly prefer the 3rd option where they play the season out and make an educated decision, not under the gun, on what to do going forward. I very much believe that Dray's teetering on the brink right now.. and while Jimmy's a great player, there's a lot of underlying data that doesnt bode well for his immediate future. Also wary of how guys w/big roles adjust to the W's system. KD never really fully adjusted, they just overwhelmed with talent. It took Wiggins about 1.5 years to get integrated. Even if Butler just needs half that time, that's next year when Curry 37-38, Butler's 37, and Dray could very well no longer be a positive player (that's the level of worry I have w/him right now)

[vvoland]

If the reported asking price for KD was correct, this was a better move than all the picks/swaps + dray + jk + podz. I'm not sure it is a better move than doing nothing but it's a relatively safe swing

Oh is that what they wanted? Then yeah I'd probably pass on that too... I wouldnt care much about JK/Podz/Dray in it, but emptying the coffers for a 36 year old wouldnt be a good idea either. And I do think that Curry/KD/Wiggins as a 1-2-3 with solid role players around them would be a hell of a lot better than the aftermath of the Jimmy trade

So if the choice was between those 2 options, then yeah, do the Jimmy deal. I just vastly prefer the 3rd option where they play the season out and make an educated decision, not under the gun, on what to do going forward. I very much believe that Dray's teetering on the brink right now.. and while Jimmy's a great player, there's a lot of underlying data that doesnt bode well for his immediate future. Also wary of how guys w/big roles adjust to the W's system. KD never really fully adjusted, they just overwhelmed with talent. It took Wiggins about 1.5 years to get integrated. Even if Butler just needs half that time, that's next year when Curry 37-38, Butler's 37, and Dray could very well no longer be a positive player (that's the level of worry I have w/him right now)

That is fair. The downside to this trade is real and very, very bleak.

On the adjustment timeframe. I saw you (i think) mentioned that the heat run more triangle than motion sets and while I'm not well versed on all the actions teams run, Jimmy seems to be coming here from an offense closer to ours than most. He's also a very cerebral player and is used to shooters running off screens as the main focus of the offense. He and Dray should also fit great on defense though the workload on Jimmy on that end might be too much.

What are the things you're seeing that indicate the drop off for dray may be coming? He was outstanding to start the year but the calf/back set him back. He has nights like against Orl where he looks terrific on defense and other nights where he no longer looks like a defensive anchor. I'm hopeful it's health but, even if true, it may not improve.


First thing last, I guess. I'm not reporting that was the asking price for KD but it was certainly bandied about by the +/- podcast crew as "dray, all the young players, and all the picks/swaps." If we could have kept Dray and a few pieces, I think the KD trade would have made sense (unless Dray is almost done). But I don't think KD/Steph/Wigs is enough, especially if there are no depth pieces around them or draft assets to move to bring in other vets.

[DonaldSanders]

There are like 3 other trade threads, it'd be cool if we just appreciated Wiggins in this one.

[CDM_Stats]

On the adjustment timeframe. I saw you (i think) mentioned that the heat run more triangle than motion sets and while I'm not well versed on all the actions teams run, Jimmy seems to be coming here from an offense closer to ours than most. He's also a very cerebral player and is used to shooters running off screens as the main focus of the offense. He and Dray should also fit great on defense though the workload on Jimmy on that end might be too much.
Defense isn't a static thing though. Jimmy is used to a certain type of defense, Warriors play a very unique one. It takes time to understand his defensive mindset the same way it takes time to adjust to Curry's, as they both improvise a lot. Jimmy is used to being the center of his universe.. he wont be anymore. Will take time, health permitting


What are the things you're seeing that indicate the drop off for dray may be coming? He was outstanding to start the year but the calf/back set him back. He has nights like against Orl where he looks terrific on defense and other nights where he no longer looks like a defensive anchor. I'm hopeful it's health but, even if true, it may not improve.
Everyone was outstanding to start the year, cake schedule. But the same things I always mention - ground covered, shot challenged %, blow by %, and a few other things that are custom and not for me to share. He's not unique in the way he's declining, and if he follows the typical path, the dropoff will be steep. And maybe very soon