The Warriors can also sustain the frenetic defensive pace because they have a faster, deeper, stronger rotation than they did last season. At new defensive coordinator Jerry Stackhouse’s urging, they’re harrying opponents by blitzing almost every pick-and-roll, something very different than what the Warriors have done in this era. They give up some open shots this way, but they also cause a lot more chaos and give aggressive, athletic defenders like De’Anthony Melton, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Gary Payton II a lot of room to fly around. “We really decided on doing that after the personnel moves this summer,” Kerr said. “Once we added Melt, once we knew GP and Wiggs were healthy and looking good, once we decided to play bigger with Trayce [Jackson-Davis] and Draymond, it just made sense. Jerry really pushed for it and he’s been great at teaching it. But it’s a combination really of personnel and what makes the most sense for our team. Wouldn’t have made sense last year.”
Andrew Wiggins Rumors
All NBA Players
Position: F
Born: 02/23/95
Height: 6-7 / 2.01
Weight:197 lbs. / 89.4 kg.
Salary: $26,276,786
Scouting report
Born: 02/23/95
Height: 6-7 / 2.01
Weight:197 lbs. / 89.4 kg.
Salary: $26,276,786
Scouting report
With Klay Thompson coming in on Tuesday night as a Chase Center visitor for the first time since he was drafted in 2011, the Golden State Warriors have continued on. Despite their lifelong brother moving onto a new challenge with the Dallas Mavericks, the cornerstone duo of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green still represents the foundation of a franchise that soldiers forward in pursuit of an NBA title. Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, and Gary Payton II have contributed to that championship success, and so have Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody from the moment they were drafted and lifted the Larry O’Brien trophy as rookies. Constantly evolving, the fourth-year swingmen have been relied on in various ways and in different moments over the years. This season, it feels like the belief is growing stronger. “It’s cool to be a part of things,” Moody told RG in a pregame interview on Friday in Cleveland. “Throughout the years, everything’s gonna be draining. A lot of highs of lows just come with every season. I’m sure they’ll come this season at some point, too, but just never reaching the finish line. Keep going, keep working, keep trying to get better.”
Anthony Slater: Andrew Wiggins questionable for the Warriors tomorrow night vs Mavericks. Lower back strain. Missed two games earlier in season with similar issue. Otherwise clean injury report for Warriors.
5d
Chet Holmgren leaves game with hip injury
Anthony Slater: Concern here in OKC: Chet Holmgren took a shot to the side while defending an Andrew Wiggins first quarter layup. Just needed help getting to the locker room. Wasn’t putting weight on right leg. Appeared to be grabbing hip/oblique area when he was on the ground.
Had the Clippers agreed to do the deal, with the most likely scenario being Golden State sending Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, Moses Moody and a first-round pick their way in exchange for George, then team sources say the second-apron luxury tax penalties that would have come with it would have put the total cost at approximately $110 million. The Clippers had serious interest in Warriors fourth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga and would have likely done the deal if he was included along with the first-round pick, but team sources say he was never truly available.
2w
Clippers were willing to trade Paul George to Warriors but wanted either Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski
The Clippers were willing to make a deal with their division rival, according to sources, but were looking for something of value to help restock their asset cupboard if they were going to take back an undesirable contract and be in the second apron. Swapping Paul George for Andrew Wiggins, who has three years and $85 million left on a four-year, $109 million deal, plus other salaries to make the math work, would have been acceptable only if the Clippers received a young player such as Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski and a pick or two. …. But league sources say Kuminga’s name never seriously came up in talks of any significance and the Clippers felt they weren’t getting enough positive assets to move forward in this new second apron world. “Nothing,” a league source told ESPN, “is better than something.
For a portion of the session, coaches guarded the players, and with no one acting as a referee to call any fouls, play got chippy and physical. As Wiggins sized up one of the coaches defending him, he bolted along the baseline, spun around the next defender and rose for a dunk. Then he did it two more times. “It was like, ‘Oh, s—,'” Warriors assistant coach Jacob Rubin told ESPN. “That was the moment this summer a lot of other people were able to see that he was on a different level. … It was like ‘Yup, I’m here, I’m here.’ You could feel it in the building.”
So Wiggins spent the summer traveling between Houston and San Francisco, working with a personal trainer and Warriors assistant coach Jacob Rubin. He practiced ballhandling, shooting, closeout shots and driving and finishing at the rim. Wiggins and Rubin worked out seven days a week for about two hours each day. Some days, it was workouts with four to five other coaches playing with them. Other days, it was focusing on technique and skill development. “It was really just about polishing up everything I know I can already do,” Wiggins told ESPN.
