Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins ‘motivated’ for main bounce-back 2024-25 season

The final couple of seasons have been a wrestle for Andrew Wiggins, to say the least. After the Golden State Warriors reclaimed their championship glory in 2022, a second that only a few anticipated when the season started, Wiggins was rewarded with a four-year, $109 million extension with the staff because of the influence he made throughout their fourth championship run since 2015. Sadly, this hasn’t been an funding that has labored in Golden State’s favor.

Wiggins solely performed in 37 video games through the 2022-23 season on account of private causes, and he did not appear to be the identical impactful wing he did through the staff’s title run the season prior. Simply this previous season, Wiggins appeared to regress closely on account of his fixed function change and being reverted to a bench expertise at occasions in Steve Kerr‘s nightly rotation. The previous All-Star averaged simply 13.2 factors and 4.5 rebounds in 71 complete video games in consequence.

Forward of coaching camp and the 2024-25 season, Wiggins is once more coping with hardship. Mitchell Wiggins, his father, not too long ago handed away earlier in September, and the Warriors ahead can also be going to need to battle via the entire exterior noise that surrounds him. Nevertheless, Kerr and the Warriors are very optimistic about Wiggins’ potential to have a significant bounceback season.

“I imply, I’ve solely seen him the final couple of days since he bought again on the town, however primary, he seems bodily actually match. I feel he additionally seems — simply talking with him — he sounds very motivated and may be very at peace,” Kerr advised reporters on Thursday, by way of The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “I feel he is in a spot the place he is aware of the final couple of years have been robust for lots of causes, and I feel he’s primed to get again to the place he was a number of years in the past.”

Steve Kerr looking forward to Andrew Wiggins’ success

When the Warriors received their final championship in 2022, Wiggins was an instrumental a part of their general success. The previous first general decide averaged 17.2 factors and 4.5 rebounds per recreation whereas taking pictures 39.3 p.c from three-point vary through the common season en path to being named an All-Star. Within the playoffs, Wiggins averaged 16.5 factors and seven.5 rebounds per recreation through the championship run.

This group is aware of what Wiggins brings to the desk and his significance to success, particularly since he’s a two-way presence on the wing. Now that Klay Thompson is with the Dallas Mavericks, somebody goes to wish to step up subsequent to Stephen Curry on a nightly foundation. Kerr is hopeful that this participant could be Wiggins.

“He is on the age the place he is proper at his bodily prime, and we have seen him do it — helped us win a championship,” Kerr stated. “I am anticipating a giant ear from Wigs, and I feel there may be additionally a void that’s left by Klay’s [Thompson] absence that we have to fill. That’s a number of factors to attain, but it surely additionally means now we have to rethink how we’re doing issues. Wigs will probably be featured for positive. He is the man that is confirmed. He is a 20-point-per-night man, and we’ll reroute.

“We’re going to be counting on him closely.”

The Warriors completed the 2023-24 season with a 46-36 document, failing to earn a playoff spot by way of the play-in match. After including the likes of Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson this offseason, Golden State’s solely purpose is making the playoffs and proving to the remainder of the league that they will nonetheless be true title contenders. So as to take action, the Warriors will want Wiggins to have a bounce-back season after the entire adversity he has confronted.