Kerr states Wiggins must step up to be Warriors’ second scorer originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Warriors coach Steve Kerr has the utmost confidence Andrew Wiggins can turn things around for the 2024-25 NBA season.
Just two seasons removed from his All-Star 2021-22 season, the Warriors forward hasn’t been able to back up that same success since. He missed a significant amount of time over the last two seasons due to his father’s illness, which Kerr knows weighed heavily on the 29-year-old.
But after the passing of Wiggins’ father this summer, Kerr believes the forward is fully focused on basketball again and in a good place entering the new season.
While speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke, Kerr shared his expectations for Wiggins during the upcoming 2024-25 season.
“Well I’m not going to put numbers on it, I’m just going to put aggression and peace of mind, which I’m seeing right now,” Kerr told Burke. “It’s been a brutally difficult two years for Wiggs and his family, with his father passing away recently. It’s been trying for him. There’s no question his dad’s health impacted his play and impacted his well-being. As sad as it is, I’m hopeful his father’s death brings a little peace.
“I know, from experience, over time, that does happen. If Wiggs has a sense of freedom and some peace of mind and his family behind him, which he always does, he’s an unbelievable human being and an incredible athlete, and he’s 29. He’s right in his prime. So I just think this is going to be a great year for him.”
While Kerr won’t put a number on things, he has set the bar high for Wiggins during a time of change for Golden State.
With franchise icon Klay Thompson now with the Dallas Mavericks, the Warriors have been searching for their second scorer behind Steph Curry. Will it be Jonathan Kuminga? Brandin Podziemski? New Warriors Buddy Hield or De’Anthony Melton?
To Kerr, it has to be Wiggins.
“To me, I’ve already told him: six 3-pointers a game,” Kerr said. “He is a really good 3-point shooter. It was down a little bit last year, but since he’s been here, 39, 40 percent. I want a lot of 3s and I want a lot of attacks to the rim. He shot 80-plus percent from the foul line in the second half of the year last year.
“He looks really comfortable in every aspect of the game. And let’s face it, with Klay gone, we need him to step up and be our second scorer after Steph, and we know he’s perfectly capable of that.”
Wiggins will continue to sit out the Warriors’ preseason with an illness, but once he returns, whether that’s in time for the preseason finale or the regular-season opener, Kerr is high on Wiggins’ impact this season.
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