Warriors trade D'Angelo Russell for Andrew Wiggins
When the season began, the Warriors were coming off a 5th straight trip to the finals, though the roster on the floor was vastly different than from the season before. With hopes of returning to the playoffs for an 8th straight year, the burden was on Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and new Warrior D'Angelo Russell, as Klay Thompson was sidelined with a torn ACL. Warriors fans remained optimistic that Russell could take up part of the offensive workload and help get this team back into the playoffs while Klay healed up for the majority of the season. Those hopes and dreams were shattered on October 30, when Steph broke his hand and took him out for 4 months of the season. And with it, the D'Angelo Russell experiment was officially on the clock.
Throughout his time at Golden State, Russell looked good offensively. Though his pick-and-roll style of play partly stymied the motion offense, Russell showed his ability to get to his spots, hit tough shots, and create plays for his teammates. Defensively, he looked like a train wreck. I continued to hold onto hope as we waited for Steph and Klay to get healthy so we could plug in our new big four of Steph, Russell, Klay, and Draymond. But unfortunately that moment never came, and as the season moved forward, the trade rumors intensified.
We knew that Minnesota had an interest in Russell, as they pursued him in the offseason, only to have Russell choose the Warriors instead. The fit at Golden State was always in question; Russell being a ball dominant guard relying heavily on the pick-and-roll and poor defender meant less opportunities on offense and porous team defense. Rumors of Andrew Wiggins being traded to the Warriors began to surface. Wiggins, a former 1st round pick in 2014, had recently signed a max contract with the Wolves, but wasn't living up to the contract's expectations in terms of play. Averaging nearly 20 ppg., Wiggins has shown flashes of offensive brilliance, but the inconsistency was on display throughout his time in Minnesota. Defensively, he has shown he has the tools to be a great wing defender, but again the inconsistency and lack of effort continued to bring down his stock. Personally, I've never been high on Wiggins, especially with his contract.
I would have really liked to see the Steph-Klay-Russell-Draymond lineup in action. I thought Russell and Green could have been the primary ball handlers as the Splash Brothers roved the court off-ball to open up the offense. Though after a couple of rounds of 2k with that tandem, it was clear that the defensive side would have mightily struggled, though 2k is only a simulation.
February 5th, the trade went down. D'Angelo was on his way to Minnesota and Wiggins was coming to Golden State. I'll admit, I was pretty upset. I like Russell as a player, even with the fit in question. I really didn't want Wiggins because of his lack of effort and spotty offensive game. But the NBA is a business and decisions must be made to help your business run smoothly, and unfortunately it was never going to happen with Russell. And sometimes, a change in scenery is just what someone needs to help get them back on their feet.
In his first game with the Warriors, the fit with Wiggins compared to Russell was night and day. The motion offense was back to running smoothly and we could see Wiggins really begin to integrate himself on the wing. His ability to move off the ball and create his own shot helped to open up the floor and keep defenders honest. Defensively, we began to see flashes of the defensive prowess he can be capable of achieving, deflecting passes, guarding the opposing teams best player, blocking shots. You could very clearly see a difference in effort he was showing on the floor compared to his time in Minnesota.
The change in culture has done wonders for Wiggins. Coming from an organization that has struggled through the years, the championship culture portrayed by Golden State has helped to empower Wiggins on both sides of the ball. Not only that, but having veterans such Draymond and Steph and Klay helps to aline Wiggins with that culture and garner a fresh new mindset.
Though we only got to see one game with both Steph and Wiggins on the floor together, initial returns look promising. Against the defending champion Raptors, Wiggins saw the floor open up with the mere presence of Steph on the court. That effect will only be magnified once Klay returns from his ACL injury.
Overall, I'm now very satisfied with the Wiggins-Russell swap. Of course the contract still isn't encouraging, but the fit is significantly better with Wiggins in the lineup. The change is culture will only help Wiggins improve and stay engaged. It's going to be very exciting next season with a healthy roster and the damage this team will be able to do. This offense will roll with the Splash Brothers roaming the perimeter and allow Wiggins to get his when needed. The defense has a chance to be great with Draymond, Klay, and Wiggins. Naturally I'm putting the Warriors back into title contention, though I'm sure most people would agree that they should be right back in the mix.
Throughout his time at Golden State, Russell looked good offensively. Though his pick-and-roll style of play partly stymied the motion offense, Russell showed his ability to get to his spots, hit tough shots, and create plays for his teammates. Defensively, he looked like a train wreck. I continued to hold onto hope as we waited for Steph and Klay to get healthy so we could plug in our new big four of Steph, Russell, Klay, and Draymond. But unfortunately that moment never came, and as the season moved forward, the trade rumors intensified.
We knew that Minnesota had an interest in Russell, as they pursued him in the offseason, only to have Russell choose the Warriors instead. The fit at Golden State was always in question; Russell being a ball dominant guard relying heavily on the pick-and-roll and poor defender meant less opportunities on offense and porous team defense. Rumors of Andrew Wiggins being traded to the Warriors began to surface. Wiggins, a former 1st round pick in 2014, had recently signed a max contract with the Wolves, but wasn't living up to the contract's expectations in terms of play. Averaging nearly 20 ppg., Wiggins has shown flashes of offensive brilliance, but the inconsistency was on display throughout his time in Minnesota. Defensively, he has shown he has the tools to be a great wing defender, but again the inconsistency and lack of effort continued to bring down his stock. Personally, I've never been high on Wiggins, especially with his contract.
I would have really liked to see the Steph-Klay-Russell-Draymond lineup in action. I thought Russell and Green could have been the primary ball handlers as the Splash Brothers roved the court off-ball to open up the offense. Though after a couple of rounds of 2k with that tandem, it was clear that the defensive side would have mightily struggled, though 2k is only a simulation.
February 5th, the trade went down. D'Angelo was on his way to Minnesota and Wiggins was coming to Golden State. I'll admit, I was pretty upset. I like Russell as a player, even with the fit in question. I really didn't want Wiggins because of his lack of effort and spotty offensive game. But the NBA is a business and decisions must be made to help your business run smoothly, and unfortunately it was never going to happen with Russell. And sometimes, a change in scenery is just what someone needs to help get them back on their feet.
In his first game with the Warriors, the fit with Wiggins compared to Russell was night and day. The motion offense was back to running smoothly and we could see Wiggins really begin to integrate himself on the wing. His ability to move off the ball and create his own shot helped to open up the floor and keep defenders honest. Defensively, we began to see flashes of the defensive prowess he can be capable of achieving, deflecting passes, guarding the opposing teams best player, blocking shots. You could very clearly see a difference in effort he was showing on the floor compared to his time in Minnesota.
The change in culture has done wonders for Wiggins. Coming from an organization that has struggled through the years, the championship culture portrayed by Golden State has helped to empower Wiggins on both sides of the ball. Not only that, but having veterans such Draymond and Steph and Klay helps to aline Wiggins with that culture and garner a fresh new mindset.
Though we only got to see one game with both Steph and Wiggins on the floor together, initial returns look promising. Against the defending champion Raptors, Wiggins saw the floor open up with the mere presence of Steph on the court. That effect will only be magnified once Klay returns from his ACL injury.
Overall, I'm now very satisfied with the Wiggins-Russell swap. Of course the contract still isn't encouraging, but the fit is significantly better with Wiggins in the lineup. The change is culture will only help Wiggins improve and stay engaged. It's going to be very exciting next season with a healthy roster and the damage this team will be able to do. This offense will roll with the Splash Brothers roaming the perimeter and allow Wiggins to get his when needed. The defense has a chance to be great with Draymond, Klay, and Wiggins. Naturally I'm putting the Warriors back into title contention, though I'm sure most people would agree that they should be right back in the mix.
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