For this season's Wiggins, this season's Warriors have two unexpecteds, one is that he can't imagine that he will be selected as an All-Star for the first time in his career with the performance of the first half of the season, and the other is that he can't imagine that after the All-Star Weekend, he will once again "hide in the small building into a unity" and open the health mode. In the fourth quarter of today's Warriors 110-121 away loss to the Hawks, Wiggins was tragically hidden. From the darling and all-star starter of the first half of the season, to the burden of dragging the team's hind legs, what has Wiggins experienced?
Previously, when the news of Wiggins's all-Star selection and being elected as the first to send at the end of January, Wiggins averaged 18.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2 assists in the first 44 games of the season, shooting 49.1% from the field and 42.3% from three-point range. At that time, the Warriors achieved a good record of 32 wins and 12 losses, which also made Wiggins's selection widely recognized. In the first 3 rounds of fan voting, Wiggins' ranking in the West Side forward group is not low, but the direct starter still laments that the Warriors' popularity is unmatched.
Wiggins at the time did deserve flowers and applause. He has always been dubbed "Wolfberry Mamba", and from the first day he joined the Warriors, there were media and fans who held their fingers to calculate how many days he had left; almost every trade rumor involving the Warriors could find his big name in it.
But it was in this context that Wiggins not only hardened, dodged one transaction after another, but also quietly improved his performance. His defensive efficiency has set a new career high in the past two seasons, and in the first half of the season, his total shooting percentage, three-point shooting rate and true shooting rate have all set new career highs, and he has transformed into a trustworthy 3D striker. The Warriors soared in the first half of the season, and Wiggins became the second most important person in the team after Curry.
At that time, people from all walks of life rejoiced that Wiggins had "thrown away the thermos", thinking that it was not too late for him to start from now on. It is estimated that no one will expect that after going to the All-Star circle, Wiggins retracted back into his shell.
The data is proof. As of today, after the All-Star Weekend, Wiggins played in 12 games, averaging 14.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game, the total shooting percentage dropped to 39.5%, the three-point shooting rate was only 31.3%, and the free throw shooting rate even fell to 50%, completely "Ben Simmons". Looking at Wiggins' NBA career, such a performance can also be called bottom-up.
All-Star Weekend looks like a watershed for Wiggins this season. In contrast, Wiggins is almost the same in terms of total shots, three-point shots and free throw shots, and even in rebounds (5.6-4.2), assists (2.8-2.1), steals (1.4-1.0), blocks (0.8-0.7) and turnovers (1.4-1.5), his performance after the All-Star Weekend is still superior, and his versatility is more worthy of praise.
But in terms of efficiency, Wiggins after the All-Star weekend has a "cliff-like decline", after all, Wiggins's three shooting rates before the All-Star weekend reached 48.1%, 41.4% and 66.1%, respectively. In addition, Wiggins averaged 3 fouls per game after All-Star Weekend, which is also more than 1.9 times before All-Star Weekend. In terms of plus-minus, Wiggins reached +4.9 before the All-Star weekend and plummeted to -0.7 after the All-Star weekend.
In this way, Wiggins's future direction has once again become the talk of people after dinner. His five-year, $148 million contract, signed in 2017, expires in 2023 and he makes $33.62 million a year next season. Given that the Warriors can't break up with him directly this summer, a trade is the only way, but Wiggins' performance after the All-Star Weekend may put the Warriors in a dilemma where they can't get the chips they want and can't cut their total salary.
It is believed that the Warriors have a reason to send Wiggins away. The Warriors' total salary is exploding, with a total salary of more than $170 million this season and next season, ranking first in the league, and this also makes the Warriors pay a heavy luxury tax. From the perspective of the Warriors' top management, it is not a good deal to spend so much but not be able to go too far in the playoffs. To this end, if it cannot win the championship, the Warriors are bound to embark on the road of saving expenses and reducing the total salary, and the future of Wiggins is conceivable.
In addition, some fans have pointed the finger at Warriors coach Kerr, saying that his use of Wiggins is inappropriate; others believe that Klay Thompson and Wiggins overlap in function, and the Warriors are suspected of duplication of construction.
At the end of the day, character determines destiny. Wiggins started well, but his career has since been defined as "slow progress", always failing to meet expectations, and even in February 2020, the Timberwolves lost the first round of the draw he and Russell swapped. But it was also after coming to the Warriors that Wiggins showed gratifying signs of progress, and the Warriors' unique internal and external environment at the beginning of the season made Wiggins usher in the highest stage of his career. But that didn't essentially change Wiggins.
Life is varied, no one can arbitrarily accuse others of life, Wiggins may not "throw away the thermos cup" again in the future. But even if he lives his life like this, his achievements are unattainable by most NBA players. That being the case, that's enough. (Supine Braces/Hairy)