Andrew Wiggins started the 2021-22 NBA season off in extremely impressive fashion. His strong early play, in fact, served as a major catalyst for the Golden State Warriors’ incredible first half run.
Unfortunately, both Wiggins and the Warriors have cooled considerably since then. Currently the team is losers of two straight and is just 4-6 in their last 10 outings.
Wiggins, meanwhile, has now gone 10 straight games without reaching the 20-point plateau. After averaging more than 18 points per game in the first 47 games of the season, he is now putting up under 14 per game. Worse yet, his shooting efficiency has dropped considerably in the same span. He is now shooting 41.5 percent from the field, down from 48.7 percent.
For a guy who earned an All-Star starting gig, Wiggins is struggling mightily right now.
On Tuesday, following a 129-114 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Warriors star Stephen Curry delivered a strong message to his teammate.
Steph Curry on the recently quiet Andrew Wiggins: “I expect him to respond.” pic.twitter.com/UKkwqyNtrr
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 2, 2022
“Stay aggressive, being the type of scorer and athlete that he is,” Curry continued.
“He can get it in a lot of different ways and we obviously need to figure out if (his recent cold streak) is because of the sets we’re calling, not getting him in the right position, or if it’s him needing to be more assertive and demanding the ball against certain matchups.”
The Warriors have had to deal with a lot of injuries and distractions in recent weeks. That no doubt has played a role in their struggles. But whatever the cause, they need to get it together.
Currently the Memphis Grizzlies are just a half game behind them in the Western Conference standings. If they get passed, there’s a good chance they won’t recover second place before the start of the playoffs.
Someone needs to take Jeanie Buss’ phone away. Yikes. https://t.co/dXtkFRGHUC
— Game 7 (@game7__) March 3, 2022
Wiggins was the subject of a lot of controversy in the preseason. He ultimately overcame it and put up the best first half of a season of his career.
Will he be able to persevere through the headwinds again? Time will tell.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
