Andrew Wiggins was added to GSW’s roster as a part of the D’Angelo Russell trade during the 2019-2020 season. Coach Steve Kerr reveals the real reason behind his addition.
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During the 2019 offseason, Golden State Warriors saw the departure of several star players like Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins, Jordan Bell, Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala. To stop the bleeding, in a blockbuster sign-and-trade deal, the Warriors front office managed to add All-Star D’Angelo Russell to the team.
Several fans and enthusiasts expected Russell to be the third Splash Brother to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. However, much to everyone’s surprise, Thompson and Steph both were sidelined with their injuries for the entire season. Due to which Russell was asked to step up and be the first option for GSW.
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Despite averaging a solid 23.6 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds, D’Angelo couldn’t fill in Curry’s shoes. Resulting in the Warriors winning merely 8 out of 33 games he played in. And mid-way in the 2019-2020 season, the management decided to move on from Russell and trade him to the Timberwolves for the former #1 overall pick, Andrew Wiggins.
Steve Kerr explains why Andrew Wiggins was acquired by the Golden State Warriors.
Playing only 12 games that 2019-2020 season, Wiggins did show a lot of potential. Averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists, he was the perfect two-way player for GSW.
And this past season, Andrew was of huge help to Steph while being the second option on the team. Not only did he average 18.6 points on 47.7% shooting, but he was also an asset on the defensive end.
Recently, ahead of the 2021-2022 regular season, head coach Steve Kerr lauded the Canadian forward while disclosing the reason for his addition to the squad. Kerr mentioned:
“Wigs (Andrew Wiggins) is one of those guys who can fall out of bed and get 18 points. Just because of his ability to run the floor and get easy buckets and all that stuff.
“Honestly, the main reason we brought Wigs here (to the Warriors) was to be a versatile defender because that’s what we missed most on the roster.”
It’s worth giving a fresh look at the #Warriors‘ decisions in recent yearshttps://t.co/KkOZFfBbuO
— Warriors Nation (@WarriorNationCP) October 18, 2021
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We could very well be seeing the Curry, Thomspon, Wiggins trio this campaign. If all three of these stars remain healthy until the very end of the regular season, GSW could definitely enter the postseason as a high seed.
