Masia: Warriors fall to Suns, Defensive woes, and Wiggins continued success

Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Phoenix Suns probably had this game circled on their calendar this year, as this was the much anticipated western conference finals matchup that never came to be last season. After splitting their regular season series at two apiece, the Suns went on to win 64 games in their regular season, finishing 1st in a loaded western conference. Seeming like the two teams were on a collision course to the WCF, it was spoiled by superstar Luka Dončić and his Dallas Mavericks squad when they embarrassed the Suns on their home floor with a 123-90 blowout game 7 win. With Phoenix falling short of their goal, and the Warriors completing theirs with a championship, we knew we would be in for a battle at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday night.

Warriors defensive woes continue

The first week of the season has concluded, and the Warriors sit with a 2-2 record, putting them in 10th place of the western conference as it stands. Obviously this will change, as they have only played four games, but that is not to say that they haven't shown flaws, defense being the main one. The Warriors finished last season with the lowest defensive rating in the league at 106.9, topping the Boston Celtics juggernaut of a defense who were led by defensive player of the year Marcus Smart. So far? Golden State has the 22nd ranked defense in the league (out of 30) with a high defensive rating of 115.0. So what has changed?

To start, their defense (especially the second unit) looks a bit different. They no longer have the veteran versatile defenders in Otto Porter Jr and Gary Payton II. Porter Jr was relied on to hold his ground with centers as well as be able to switch onto wings on the perimeter. Payton II was a vital part in the Warriors defensive success, as he was Kerrs go to ballhawk who could stick to the best guards in the league, as seen in the playoffs against Ja Morant and Luka Dončić. One thing that has not changed is their defensive anchor, Draymond Green. Green, who was on track to win his 2nd defensive player of the year award last year before he was sidelined with a back injury, has picked up this season right where he left off in game 6 of the finals. Draymond’s name has been in the news quite a bit the last month or so, and with lots of skepticism for how things were going to look for him this season, he is letting his play do the talking. He is still the catalyst on the defensive end, communicating and making plays while remaining extremely active and being the menace he is. However, he recognizes that there are significant strides that need to be made individually and as a team. After the loss in Phoenix, he was asked what he thought was the issue with their defense: “It’s just not there. The commitment to defense is just not there. Right now, that’s something we have to get better at, and that starts with me. Right now, we are a decent offensive team and a bad defensive team.”

Transition defense has been the biggest outlier. In their last three games, they have given up 70+ points in each first half, and finished all 3 games giving up at least 125 points. A lot of those are coming in transition, as their matchups have favored a faster pace. The loss to the Nuggets was ultimately sealed by Nikola Jokic, when after a made layup by Warriors guard Jordan Poole which cut it to a 1 point game, Jokic immediately inbounded the ball and threw a full court strike to the untouched Bruce Brown for a dunk. With their too-close-for-comfort win against Sacramento on Sunday night, Warriors former assistant coach and new Kings head coach Mike Brown had his team playing a run and gun style. Constantly beating the Warriors defense down court before they could set up, ultimately scoring. Coach Kerr is not very keen on these, especially coming off of made baskets on the other end. This was seen in the Sacramento game when he was visibly angered, immediately jumping out of his seat on the bench to call a timeout, all while yelling at his players as they came off the floor. One of the few positives from the Warriors slow start on the defensive end is that we know what they are capable of. Based on their current play it doesn't seem like it can get much worse, as the Warriors currently rank dead last in opponent fast break points per game, allowing 21.3 such points every game, meaning things can only improve.

Andrew Wiggins is making his mark

Comfort. That is the immediate word that comes to mind when you watch Andrew Wiggins now. He looks more confident and more comfortable than ever in a Warriors uniform. Coming off of the best season of his career last year, earning himself his first all-star appearance and helping his team win a championship, he was ready to prove last year was not a fluke. Throughout the entirety of last year's playoff run, he was undoubtedly the Warriors 2nd best player, which is confirmed by both the metrics and the eye test. We’ve always known him to be a consistent offensive player, as he has almost stumbled into 20 PPG for his entire career. But he has added to that, buying into the Warriors system, his off ball movement and facilitating has looked well improved this season as well. We saw a perfect example of this in the win over the Kings, when Draymond drove into the lane and swung it to Wiggins who was wide open in the left weakside corner. That is usually a shot that Wiggins wouldn't hesitate to shoot, as he is prolific from the corners shooting almost 40%, but he did something that we see a lot in Kerr’s system. Good shot to great shot. He swung the ball to a wide open Steph Curry on the wing, and we know what happened from there. Through these first four games, Wiggins has gotten good looks early, as the Warriors seem to try to get him those looks to get him in rhythm. This is something we have seen them do in the past with Klay Thompson. Wiggins also provides a KD-esque escape valve for the Dubs offense. When stagnant or slowed down in the half court, they can get the ball to Wiggins and rely on him to get a bucket, which often results in his patented fadeaway jumper. It is safe to say that as it stands currently, Andrew Wiggins has become the Warriors second scoring option on offense behind Steph, which may sound surprising considering Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole remain on the roster. This of course can change, as Poole currently carries the majority of the team’s offensive creation in non-Steph minutes.. Regardless, Wiggins has been everything and more of what the Warriors expected of him when trading for him in 2020.

What has been arguably even more valuable and impressive has been his play on the other side of the ball. Wiggins has worked and willed his way into being one of the best wing defenders in the league, which is one of the most valuable abilities in today's league. He was put through a defensive gauntlet in last year's playoffs, having to match up with the opposing team's best player in each series. Containing Ja Morant in the 2nd round (until Morant left the series with an injury), he then had to face Luka Dončić and his offensive wizardry. While Dončić still got his, Wiggins presented him problems and at times shut him down entirely. The finals was where Wiggins' defensive excellence shined its brightest. On the NBA’s biggest stage, Wiggins put on a defensive masterclass against Celtics star Jayson Tatum. His defensive presence has continued to shine in the beginning of this season, as he is averaging 2 steals per game (SPG) and 1.3 blocks per game (BPG). Stellar defensive plays have become expected from Wiggins and last night’s loss was no different. Early in the first quarter, when Draymond fell asleep on the weak side and got beat on a back-cut by Cam Johnson, what would have been a wide open layup was erased by Wiggins as he slid over from his man to meet Johnson at the apex, blocking the shot.

On October 16th, Wiggins agreed to sign a veteran extension with the Golden State Warriors worth 109 million dollars, guaranteeing him to stay 3 more seasons with a player option on the 4th year. This was actually considered a discount for him, as he has turned himself into one of the most valuable players in the league and is still on the front end of his prime right now. Before signing the extension, he would have been going into next season an unrestricted free agent, and likely could have received a much larger contract than the one he took to stay here in the bay. When asked last week about his status to the fans and the people of the bay area, he had this to say: “Andre [Iguodala], Draymond [Green], Klay [Thompson], Steph [Curry] -- those are Warriors legends and Bay legends," Wiggins said. "Hopefully, by the time I’m done, people will look at me like that. I just have to keep putting in the work and accomplish what they have accomplished.”

Photo via: ESPN