Wiggins’ defense has eclipsed offensive woes to start the Warriors’ season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Andrew Wiggins is still looking to find the consistent shooting that helped make him an All-Star three years ago when the Warriors won their sixth NBA title, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with his defense.
Just ask Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
Wiggins was one of the key defenders against Tatum on Wednesday as the Warriors handed the defending champions their second loss of the 2024-25 NBA season, 118-112 Golden State win that should cement coach Steve Kerr’s squad as a legitimate contender.
Tatum, a five-time All-Star who was also a member of Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics, had 32 points but needed 20 shots and a monster third quarter (17 points with four 3-pointers) to get there.
“Loved Wiggs tonight,” Kerr told reporters at TD Garden. “The game started a little slow for him but Jayson really came in, tried to make it as hard as possible. Jayson continued to be phenomenal and really got it going in the second half, but I thought Wiggs did a really good job on him.”
Wiggins, who missed two games earlier this season with a lower back strain, has a 107.7 defensive rating, which ranks him among the best small forwards in the NBA. That defense also helped keep Wiggins in Kerr’s rotations as the 29-year-old chases his offense.
Wiggins finished with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting (0-for-3 behind the arc) and is shooting 44.4 percent from the floor (32 of 62), his lowest shooting numbers since the 2018-19 season when he shot. a career-low 41.2 percent.
To be fair, Wiggins connected on a pivotal mid-range shot that gave the Warriors the lead in the back-and-forth fourth quarter. He also made a pair of clutch free throws with 25 seconds left.
And then there was the arrangement. The missed arrangement to be exact.
Early in the first quarter, the Warriors went out on a fast break and Buddy Hield threw the ball to Wiggins, who raced towards the bucket. Wiggins caught the ball and went up to put it in but the ball went over the ring, rolled on the back iron then fell away.
Gary Payton II playfully snapped Wiggins about the young lady after the game on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Warriors Postgame Live” show.
“Please don’t get me started on Wiggs and these deposits,” Payton said. “He’s 6-foot-8, 6-foot-9. I tell him just soak it up. Hashtag soak it up, Wiggs. He cleaned it up. He made big plays and a big stop down the stretch. So Wiggs will be Wiggs, but it’s the eighth game so hopefully he’s starting to sink in [in] match nine.”
