LAIE, Hawaii — Andrew Wiggins missed his third straight day of coaching camp with an sickness and received’t play in Saturday’s preseason opener in opposition to the Clippers in Honolulu.
“Still sick, unfortunately,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stated of Wiggins. “I’m not worried about Wiggs because he’s been here the past couple of weeks and he showed up in great shape. I just feel bad for him because he’s really focused on having a great year and he wants to be playing. Unfortunately, the training staff won’t let him go because he’s still under the weather.”
The Warriors have a finite period of time to make loads of modifications. They’ve put in new units and launched new terminology since arriving in Hawaii at the beginning of this week. They need to play sooner, shoot extra 3-pointers and make protection their calling card.
Wiggins hasn’t participated in it, however he has watched from the sidelines. Nonetheless, it have to be tougher to select issues up visually than to truly do it. There’s a cause walkthroughs exist.
“That’s why he’s been here,” Kerr stated. “He’s wearing his mask, he’s on the sidelines every day, watching what we’re doing. We’re basically doing things that he’s very familiar with, but we’re putting terminology in, we’re trying to be more purposeful, trying to build in some counters into things that we’ve already done. So it’s important for him to be here to watch all this stuff, which he’s doing.”
Wiggins is a veteran, and each coaching camp has its nuances. However Golden State’s coaching camp to-do record is lengthy.
“It’s tough,” stated Kyle Anderson, a 10-year veteran who arrived this summer season by way of the Klay Thompson commerce. “My head is spinning. It’s tough. We’re adjusting that’s what we’re here for in camp. I feel like younger me would be, like, all frantic and panicking, but I’ve got time to get it down.”
After observe wrapped up on Thursday, Wiggins — sporting a masks just like the earlier two days — obtained pictures up on a facet hoop. He has been across the staff within the weeks previous to coaching camp, Kerr stated, and his jumper seemed easy; at one level, he swished six consecutive wing 3-pointers.
The Warriors have massive plans for Wiggins this season. Each Kerr and basic supervisor Mike Dunleavy Jr. talked him up at media day, saying he’s primed to return to the 2022 All-Star model of him after he struggled final 12 months.
In 2023-24, Wiggins averaged a career-low 13.2 factors per sport and had his worst 3-point capturing season in years. The previous two years have been tough for Wiggins off the court docket as nicely. He has sometimes missed video games for private causes, although he’s traditionally accessible to play.
Now, Golden State expects Wiggins to slip right into a massively vital position. They hope he could be the staff’s second-leading scorer whereas additionally defending the most effective participant on the opposing staff.
“Wiggs is a 20-point-a-night scorer in his career, pretty much,” Draymond Inexperienced stated on Wednesday. “Asking him to be the second option, the second scorer, you’re not asking him to do anything differently than he’s been his entire career. He’s more than capable.”
Inexperienced isn’t far off. Wiggins has averaged 18.5 factors per sport in his 10-year profession.
However Wiggins has solely been a staff’s No. 1 or 2 scorer 5 occasions. None of these groups made the playoffs. The truth is, 4 of the 5 groups that includes Wiggins as a top-two scorer completed thirteenth or worse within the West.
The 2022 championship season was the most effective stretch for Wiggins to this point. The previous No. 1 general choose blossomed within the postseason as a knockdown shooter and transition risk whereas additionally bottling up different groups’ finest gamers.
In an effort to simplify their offense, the Warriors anticipate to function Wiggins extra within the half-court. That might entail set performs to get him downhill or put up touches.
Kerr doesn’t concern that Wiggins will fall behind as Golden State implements new schemes, they usually aren’t going to vary their plans as a result of he obtained sick for just a few days. However as Kerr has made clear, solely two beginning lineup spots — Steph Curry and Draymond Inexperienced — are assured. Wiggins may need to rise up to hurry to assert his.
Notable
–Buddy Hield, a profession 40% 3-point shooter with a notably flat leap shot, stated he’s making an attempt to emulate Curry’s arc.
No matter occurred to, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t repair it?’
“It’s not broke,” Hield stated. “I just realized this summer, when I shoot it higher, it goes in much prettier. Better effect on the net.”
–Moses Moody was the final Warrior getting pictures up at observe on Thursday. The emphasis for him is bettering his jumper launch and being able to catch and shoot. Kerr stated Moody’s “best pitch” needs to be his 3-point shot.
Initially Revealed: October 3, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.
