The Golden State Warriors are treating every game as a must-win game if they want to make the playoffs. They currently sit at tenth, which doesn’t provide a lot of security for their postseason hopes with only 14 games remaining in the season.
Thankfully, they managed to win against the Memphis Grizzlies to the tune of 137-116. One of the key players who stood out during the game has not played to the level of the contract he got after the Warriors won their unlikely championship in 2022.
Andrew Wiggins shines during the Golden State Warriors’ strong win vs Memphis
Andrew Wiggins has struggled a bit after getting his $109 million contract extension with the Warriors in 2023, Through 58 games this season, he’s only averaged 12.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 45%/35%/73% shooting splits.
While Jonathan Kuminga has picked up the slack, his presence was badly needed if the Warriors were going to make a deep playoff run.
Thankfully, he showed up in this must-win game against the Grizzlies. He finished the high-tension duel with an impressive 22 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists in 29 minutes of action.
Draymond Green wasn’t shy with his praise for the former No. 1 pick of the 2014 Draft, as reported by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Michael Wagaman:
“It helps everybody because with Wiggs’ aggressiveness, with his athleticism, when he’s driving to the rim, he can make defenses collapse or he’s going to go finish,” Green said. “He’s been shooting the ball extremely well.
“With him being aggressive that way, it’s just another option for us that we can go to that can initiate offense, that we can run pick-and-rolls for, that we can go to in the block. You can just allow him to create something. He’s more than capable of creating offense for any team.”
Is Wiggins back to his peak Warriors form?
Dub Nation deeply understands how well Andrew Wiggins is when he’s locked in. During his most productive season (2020-21) with the team, he averaged 18.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists with a career-high 57% true shooting percentage.
While his numbers this season were worrying, his last five games suggest he’s back to top form. If he will keep this string of performances up, it wouldn’t be strange to see him make vital contributions to the Golden State Warriors’ 2024 championship aspirations.
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