Multiple things are clicking as part of the Golden State Warriors' red-hot start to the season.
En route to going a league-best 20-4, multiple players on the team are making a strong early case for end-of-season awards - Stephen Curry for the MVP, Draymond Green for Defensive Player of the Year and Jordan Poole for Most Improved Player.
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However, similar to the 2014-15 team, this roster has been personifying the team's 'Strength in Numbers' motto. And a key invaluable cog in the Warriors juggernaut is Canadian wing Andrew Wiggins.
On Monday night, he nailed a career-high eight 3-pointers against the Orlando Magic. Notably doing so on just 10 attempts.
Over a three-minute stretch in the third quarter, Wiggins knocked down five straight 3-pointers which sparked a Warriors 18-7 run. Overall, he scored 17 of his 28 points in the third quarter, a period when he carried the Warriors offence.
Steph is in awe of Wiggins right now 🤯 pic.twitter.com/PIjXkAeGVo
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 7, 2021
"My shot was going in. That was it," Wiggins said postgame .
With this explosion, he's averaging a career-high 2.2 3-pointers per game and making them at a career-high efficiency of 41.6 percent. Those numbers are surely not just a product of the Warriors system and environment but also of the 3-and-D type of role he's been handed with the franchise.
So far, he's maximising that role. In 107 games for the Warriors, he's knocked down an average of two 3-pointers per game at a clip of 38.4 percent - a huge jump from his near six full seasons in Minnesota of 1.2 3-pointers at an efficiency of 33.2 percent.
His growth and all-round development into this role is helping the Warriors. Their net rating with him on the floor is 11.7, second only to Stephen Curry among players playing heavy minutes.
On defence, he's making his presence felt. When he's on the floor, the Warriors have a defensive rating of 94.1 , which is better than par with the overall league-best team rating of 99.8 .
Comparing this roster to the 2014-15 team, the resemblance is uncanny that Wiggins plays a role similar to what Harrison Barnes did. The only, yet substantial difference is that the former No. 1 overall pick is providing a more reliable offensive punch in more minutes at a better shooting efficiency despite shooting more on volume.
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