The Golden State Warriors may be easing into the new season with a 3-2 record, but most expect them to be a prime contender for the NBA championship when it is all said and done.
Winning it all would give them their fifth title in the last nine seasons, as well as back-to-back world championships.
The Warriors’ resurrection after a couple of years in purgatory has somewhat coincided with the emergence of Andrew Wiggins as a key all-around player for them.
He says that he wants to end up being on the same level as teammates such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala in terms of being franchise legends.
Andrew Wiggins says his goal is to be a Warriors legend like Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry
“Hopefully by the time I’m done, people will look at me like that.”
(Via https://t.co/wWGNmWFdPH) pic.twitter.com/yfdpEVufnP
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) October 26, 2022
A Lofty Goal
When Wiggins came to Golden State during the 2019-20 season, he had a reputation as a low-efficiency chucker who didn’t play defense and didn’t care too much about his craft.
As a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, he was accused by one-time teammate Jimmy Butler of being “soft,” and there was doubt that he could fit in with the Warriors’ lauded winning culture.
But Wiggins has dramatically improved his 3-point shooting and defense, making him one of the biggest reasons they defeated the Boston Celtics in last season’s NBA Finals.
At age 27, he is an ideal player to help Curry, Thompson, and Green age gracefully as they creep deeper into their 30s.
Through five games this season, the 6-foot-7 forward is averaging 20.2 points, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocked shots per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field.
If Golden State keeps its core intact and wins one or two more championships, perhaps Wiggins will accomplish his stated goal.
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